Assessing Liverpool's chances of pulling off a deep Champions League run

How realistic are Liverpool’s Champions League prospects?

Looking at the teams left in the competition, the biggest challenge for Liverpool will be reaching the Champions League final, never mind winning on the night in Budapest, against what will surely be Arsenal or Barcelona.

To get there, Slot’s men will have to overcome two of the strongest sides in the competition in PSG and Bayern / Real Madrid.

If it wasn’t being made hard enough, with Liverpool’s injury list and fixture congestion, it’s now been confirmed that PSG have had their league fixture against Lens postponed to allow them to have fully fresh legs for both fixtures.

While Liverpool are chasing the likes of Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze down the wing in a vital clash for their hopes of attaining Champions League football for next season, the PSG will squad have their feet up eating croissants. Or, getting a head start on their preparations for the return leg at Anfield. Brilliant. 

It doesn’t make victory impossible, but it does certainly make it a lot harder. 

Last season’s battle between these two sides was an epic one. At the time, they were two of the strongest sides in Europe by far.

The same can’t be said this year, although PSG are still top of the league, and absolutely flattened Chelsea in the Round of 16. It feels like yet again, the European teams outside of England are picking up pace in Spring time, whereas the Premier League clubs are starting to run out of legs.

If Liverpool are going to progress, they are most likely going to have to put in two of their best performances of the season.

What works in their favour is having the second leg at Anfield - although they lost last season, you always back the Reds at home in the second leg, no matter how big a mountain they have to climb. 

Difference makers

Could Mo Salah’s announcement have an impact? He has performed better in the Champions League than the Premier League, with it being less physical and fast.

He will also be absolutely determined to make his final few months at the club special. Last season we saw what this man can do when he is possessed and fixated on a certain prize. 

Salah is capable of singe-handedly winning Liverpool a game, even if they are behind from the first leg. Having said that, his form has dropped off, and he will be returning from injury, so may not be at his sharpest.

Alexander Isak may also be back just in time, but again, he won’t be firing on all cylinders and will need to be managed carefully.

If the Reds can progress to the semifinal, it could be a great time for him to get a run of games and start banging in the goals.

If Liverpool only had the Champions League to worry about, I think they would have a real chance.

There’s just something special about Liverpool and the European cup, and obviously, they have the talent in the squad to beat anyone. 

But the problem is that every game is going to feel like a cup final at the moment, and Liverpool don’t have the availability in the squad to win all of these cup finals. There is no opportunity to rest players, not even in the FA Cup, unless they want to practically forfeit the fixture.

It would be too risky to rest players in the league, as the priority is surely to secure Champions League football for next season.

The risk is that Slot’s men get caught between two stools trying to get top five and also go far in the Champions League in FA Cup, resulting in the legs breaking down, and they miss out on all their targets. 

What can Liverpool do to pull it off?

Luck. They haven’t had much of that at all this season, whether it be from officials, their own finishing, or opposition finishing, or opposition form, or injuries. 

Quality. There is plenty of mitigation for Liverpool’s inconsistent form, but there’s no doubt we can see more from these players than we have in the last few weeks. A huge tie like this is a great chance for some of the club’s most talented players to show what they are capable of.

NO MORE INJURIES. The Reds need some of their players to come back and they can’t afford to lose anymore. PSG are a grueling side to play against physically.

This season it’s felt like every time they get one player back, they lose two more. To win the Champions League, they will need to utilise their squad in all competitions.

Anyone up for a Dominik Szoboszlai rocket in Budapest, followed by a last ditch Milos Kerkez tackle with his face?