The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 between PSG (France) and Liverpool (England) will take place on March 5 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. PSG vs. Liverpool: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
PSG
The Parisians' clash with Brest in the previous round was marked by several records. After a 3-0 away victory, Luis Enrique's side demolished their opponent at home with a 7-0 win. This victory became PSG's biggest in their European competition history. Additionally, the team did not concede a single goal in a Champions League knockout stage for the first time. The French side has won five consecutive matches in the Champions League and reached the Round of 16 for the 13th consecutive time.
- PSG has scored at least three goals in their last 5 Champions League games.
- At home, the club has not lost in 15 of their last 19 Champions League matches (12 wins, 3 draws).
- PSG has conceded in 5 of their last 7 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for PSG (4-3-3)
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Nuno Mendes, William Pacho, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi – Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Joao Neves – Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele.
Liverpool
The English side excelled in the group stage. Arne Slot's team won seven consecutive matches at the start of the tournament and was the first to secure a spot in the Champions League Round of 16. The defeat in the last round against PSV slightly tarnished the overall picture, but it should be noted that the team played with a second-string lineup. Even so, Liverpool managed to score twice against the Dutch, netting at least two goals in their sixth match of this tournament. Additionally, the British side last reached the Champions League quarter-finals in the 2020/21 season.
- The club has opened the scoring in their last 7 Champions League matches.
- Liverpool has not drawn in 16 consecutive away games in this tournament (12 wins, 4 losses).
- In 6 of their last 7 away Champions League matches, the English side has not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Liverpool (4-3-3)
Alisson Becker – Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate – Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister – Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz.
Defenders Joseph Gomez and Conor Bradley are injured.
Referee
Davide Massa (Italy)
Matches – 10 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 20;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: PSG vs. Liverpool
After a shaky start to the group stage, the Parisians steamrolled their opponents. Luis Enrique's side secured five consecutive victories with an aggregate score of 21:3. During this run, the team also defeated another English club, Manchester City (4:2). The French attack is at its best, but there are questions about their defense. PSG has scored in 5 consecutive home Champions League matches but managed to keep a clean sheet only against Girona and Brest during this period.
Liverpool scored fewer goals than eight other teams in the group, but the English side is always attack-minded. In the national championship, Arne Slot's team leads in scoring. Five clean sheets in the group stage are impressive, but away from home in the current Champions League campaign, the club only kept a clean sheet against the aforementioned Girona and Leipzig, which turned out to be one of the tournament's biggest disappointments.
Given the high attacking potential of both teams, my prediction is Total over 2.5 goals
