Liverpool face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday knowing the pivotal clash represents their final chance at a trophy this season. Arne Slot's squad have consistently disappointed throughout the campaign, dropping out of the title race early and being knocked out of both the FA Cup and League Cup.
It won't be straightforward. Luis Enrique's outfit hold a 2-0 lead after comprehensively outplaying the Reds in Paris last week, and are the reigning European champions. While Liverpool are riding high following their victory over Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, their Champions League quarter-final second leg presents an entirely different proposition.
Today's Liverpool news sees a former Manchester United star offer his verdict on the Reds' Champions League qualification prospects next season, while club captain Virgil van Dijk has delivered a message to supporters ahead of the PSG showdown.
Van Dijk has conceded that the Reds must conjure something extraordinary against PSG or face an early Champions League exit this season. The centre-back has also appealed to the famous Anfield atmosphere to help his teammates overturn a formidable 2-0 deficit.
"We need something very special to happen otherwise we will have no chance," the Liverpool captain said. "If we play like we did in Paris then we will have no chance anyway, in my opinion.
"The fans will probably be the most important factor, together with our performance. I've been very lucky to experience those nights where the connection between the fans and the performance has been unbelievable.
"There is an opportunity on Tuesday to come up with a good game plan and fight for it for 90-plus minutes. I am really looking forward to it. It's a privilege to be in the quarter-finals regardless. We shouldn't take that for granted. We have to remember we are Liverpool. We have to make it a memorable night."
Former United captain Gary Neville has tipped Arne Slot's squad to succeed in their mission and secure next season's Champions League football by finishing in the Premier League's top five when the campaign concludes.
The Reds have suffered a disappointing defence of their Premier League title this term, suffering 10 defeats. Their prospects of qualifying for next season's Champions League received a significant boost following last week's announcement that the Premier League has been assured a fifth qualification berth for next season.
They also enhanced their chances with a 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday evening. They collected three points thanks to goals from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah to remain in fifth place, four points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, who suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.
Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast via Sky Sports Premier League, he said: "I think [Chelsea are] going to have a difficult end to the season and it feels to me now like Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football.
"And a few weeks ago, I think they were in a spot whereby I thought Villa were in freefall and that Chelsea, Liverpool and United would get that third, fourth, fifth spot. I actually think now that Chelsea are going to miss out because of what's happened in this last few weeks and where they're at."
Liverpool have six league fixtures remaining this campaign and are well-placed to nail down a top-five finish, though they face challenging away trips to Everton, Manchester United and Aston Villa before the season draws to a close.
Liverpool have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals where they host Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg on April 14. Fans can watch the game for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or 30-day free trial.
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