VITINHA WARNS PSG TEAMMATES: "UNDERESTIMATE LIVERPOOL AT YOUR OWN PERIL" TONIGHT
PSG vs Liverpool preview: Vitinha recalls the 2025 final as PSG looks to repeat their Munich dominance at home.
Vitinha isn’t buying into the hype about PSG being the favourites against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals. Sure, he’s at the heart of the team that lifted the trophy in 2025, but he’s staying grounded. He pointed to Liverpool, fresh off a 4-0 thumping by Manchester City in the FA Cup, as a side you just can’t underestimate.
“Everyone knows how unpredictable these matches are. There’s no favourite,” Vitinha said before the first leg at Parc des Princes. “It’s Liverpool. They’ve got top players, and anything can happen. We’ve got two big games ahead, one in Paris, one at Anfield.”
He made it clear: PSG will go all out. “We’ll give one hundred per cent. We always play to win, and that’s not changing now.”
Last season, PSG knocked Liverpool out in the round of 16 on their way to the final in Munich, where they dominated Inter Milan. Vitinha, alongside Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz, controlled the midfield. In the final, he set up Hakimi’s opener with a smart pass through the Inter defence. Later in the match, he put together a slick move with Dembélé before assisting Doué for PSG’s third. By full time, PSG had put up a five-goal margin, the biggest ever seen in the final since the competition began.
“The feeling in the squad is amazing,” Vitinha said. “Big Champions League games like these are what we live for. We’re focused, but we know Liverpool is dangerous.”
Liverpool bounced back from that European exit by winning the Premier League, but this season they’re fighting to book another Champions League spot. Their manager, Arne Slot, isn’t getting distracted by how their season’s been going. “I don’t pay much attention to the league table right now. This is a huge challenge,” he's said. “City and PSG are very similar in their quality and style. A Champions League quarter-final is never routine, especially not against the defending champions.”
After facing PSG, Liverpool hosts Fulham in the Premier League. Meanwhile, PSG gets a bit more rest: French league officials rescheduled their game against Lens to give them extra time to prep for the second leg at Anfield in mid-April, a move Lens isn’t thrilled about.
Elsewhere, Wednesday’s other quarter-final first leg sees Barcelona play Atletico Madrid. So, the Champions League drama keeps going.
PSG BENEFITS FROM FRIDAY FIXTURE AS LIVERPOOL RECOVERS FROM SATURDAY’S HIGH-INTENSITY CLASH
PSG beats Toulouse 3-1 as Ousmane Dembele scores twice. See why Luis Enrique is confident facing Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Liverpool’s got no time to catch its breath after losing to Manchester City on Saturday. Now comes the real test: Arne Slot’s team has to face the defending European champs next.
Honestly, after that 4-0 thumping at the Etihad, hope among Liverpool fans is pretty thin. The Champions League feels like the only shot at any kind of glory this season, but even that seems far-fetched right now. They’re heading to France to play PSG in the first leg of the quarter-final, and Luis Enrique’s squad had a way easier time this weekend.
While Liverpool struggled big time against Haaland and his crew, PSG cruised to a 3-1 win over Toulouse. Ousmane Dembele showed why he’s a Ballon d’Or winner; he scored two goals, one before and one after Toulouse’s strike. Then Goncalo Ramos sealed the deal in stoppage time.
PSG got to play on Friday, which means more rest and prep for the big Champions League clash. Enrique rotated his squad, resting three important players: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves started on the bench but got minutes later. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia left just before the 70th minute, and Desire Doue was subbed out near the end.
Dembele and Achraf Hakimi, who hit their 200th club appearance, played the whole match. PSG really benefitted from Lens losing 3-0 to Lille too, solidifying their spot at the top.
Enrique seemed pretty pleased after the win. He said grabbing those points was crucial, especially after the international break. Lots of players came back tired, but PSG handled it. Playing on Friday made things harder, but now they’ve got some downtime before facing Liverpool.
Still, PSG’s victory wasn’t flawless. Matvei Safonov, their keeper, fumbled a cross that led to Toulouse’s goal. So now there’s talk about whether he should keep his place against Liverpool or if Lucas Chevalier gets the nod.
PSG heads into Wednesday’s showdown full of confidence. Liverpool, honestly, needs something special to turn things around.
PSG’S REQUEST FOR A WEEK OFF BETWEEN LIVERPOOL GAMES SPARKS DOMESTIC OUTRAGE
Paris Saint-Germain requests a Ligue 1 postponement against Lens to prepare for their Champions League tie with Liverpool.
Paris Saint-Germain is sticking to its request to postpone a Ligue 1 match so it can get ready for its big Champions League clash with Liverpool.
People have been poking fun at PSG for trying to move their game against Lens, another top team in the league. Lens flat-out rejected the idea. PSG pulled off something similar when they played Chelsea in Europe, and now they want another week off between their matches with Liverpool.
Right now, that Lens match falls right between the two Liverpool games. French media says the league will decide after the LFP board meets this Thursday.
Even with the criticism, PSG claims this isn’t just about them; it’s for the good of French football.
Le Parisien reports PSG’s message: they say their push to reschedule is organised, above board, and doesn’t undermine the competition. One club insider put it like this: Every French team in European competitions lifts the entire league. France is sitting in sixth place in the race for UEFA’s 2025-26 season, and getting to fifth would mean more French clubs in Europe – up to seven of them.
It’s not just pride that’s on the line; there’s cash and exposure, too. If two French teams make the European semi-finals, Ligue 1 gets a boost on and off the field.
PSG also pointed out that the league has moved matches for this exact reason plenty of times before, especially to help French clubs in Europe.
Lens, meanwhile, isn’t hiding how they feel. They released a statement making their opposition clear.
They said the whole thing makes it feel like Ligue 1 is just an afterthought, ready to change at a moment’s notice to suit European ambitions. They argue this simply isn’t fair, which, in their eyes, sets French football apart from other major leagues.
Lens says moving the game would mean they go fifteen days without playing, then suddenly play every three days. That’s a totally different schedule than what was agreed on at the start of the season, and it’s a load that could really mess with a club like theirs.
