Liverpool head into their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain with Florian Wirtz insisting the dressing room remains fully behind manager Arne Slot, despite rising pressure and outside speculation over unrest following recent domestic setbacks.
The scrutiny around Slot has increased since Liverpool’s 4-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, a result that ended another trophy route and left the Champions League as Liverpool’s final chance of silverware in this campaign.
The quarter-final brings together familiar opponents, as Liverpool and PSG have met six times in European competition, with each club winning three matches, while their most recent ties added further tension to a growing
rivalry between the English and French sides.
Last season they faced off in the Champions League round of 16, when each team earned a 1-0 away victory before PSG advanced by winning 4-1 on penalties at Anfield, underlining the fine margins that have often separated Liverpool and the current European champions.
PSG arrive in strong knockout form, unbeaten in seven Champions League knockout matches with six wins and one draw, and the holders can match the longest unbeaten run for a French club in the competition, set at eight games by Lyon between April 2004 and March 2006.
That record underlines the size of Liverpool’s task, as the reigning champions have kept a core squad together and built further understanding on the pitch, while Slot’s side are also managing a demanding Premier League top-four chase alongside this heavyweight European tie.
"Yes, of course. We are believing in the manager, said the German playmaker. The team should believe in the manager because they won the league last season. We've had a lot of good games this season. We wanted it to be better, but it is what it is now, and we still have things to play for. Everything I can say to that is we believe in the manager and will try to give our best tomorrow. "
Preparing for PSG pic.twitter.com/mhMgEKIQVLLiverpool FC (@LFC) April 7, 2026
Liverpool vs PSG Champions League focus for Arne Slot
Slot stressed that attention cannot drift toward domestic targets while facing PSG, saying, "I don't think so far ahead, especially when you play Paris Saint-Germain. They're champions of Europefully deserved, said Slot. Kept the team together, and usually, the longer you keep a team together, the better they become. If that is even possible because they were so impressive last season. I watched a lot of games of them and they are maybe even more impressive; there are even more rotations. They are still a very good team, but details can decide a lot. "
With Liverpool’s season now hinging on progress in Europe and a push to secure a top-four Premier League finish, the meeting with PSG places Slot, Wirtz and their teammates under sharp focus, as belief in the manager and attention to small details will likely shape the outcome of this quarter-final tie.
