Hakimi Insists PSG Are Not Favourites Ahead Of Liverpool Clash In Champions League Quarter-Final

Achraf Hakimi insisted Paris Saint-Germain must ignore talk of being favourites when visiting Anfield in the Champions League quarter-final second leg. PSG hold a 2-0 advantage over Liverpool from the first game in Paris, yet Hakimi and Luis Enrique both stressed that the tie remains open against opponents with a strong record in European comebacks.

Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in the first leg to give the defending champions control of the tie. PSG also benefit from extra rest after their domestic meeting with Lens was postponed because of their European schedule, meaning Luis Enrique travels to Merseyside with a refreshed squad and a chance to manage minutes carefully.

PSG already have experience winning at Anfield, having earned a 1-0 victory there in last season's Champions League last 16. Another success would see PSG become only the third club to win consecutive European away games at Liverpool, joining Barcelona and Atalanta, although neither of those teams managed that feat across back-to-back campaigns.

The Opta supercomputer expects PSG to finish the job at Anfield. The model gives Luis Enrique's team an 86% probability of reaching the Champions League semi-finals and rates their chance of lifting the trophy at 17%. Those title odds rank behind Bayern Munich on 30% and Arsenal on 34%, underlining how competitive this season's tournament appears.

Hakimi warned that a 2-0 lead is far from safe, especially in this competition. "Inthis type of competition, there is no such thingas favourites. We've already seen it is possible for a team to come back even from 2-0 down, Hakimi told reporters. We are in a very positive mindset having said that. We have a lot of confidence at the moment and I think tomorrow is a really important game for us. We are going to be very focused, and I also think we are going to have to take care of the details; every single last detail. We are prepared to give absolutely everything, as are Liverpool. Both teams will be going for it."

History offers PSG a warning. Before this season's quarter-finals, 17 teams have been eliminated from Champions League knockout ties after leading by at least two goals from the first leg. PSG have suffered that fate three times, more than any other club, so the players are aware that the current advantage can disappear quickly under pressure.

Hakimi also played down any sense that PSG dominate rivals this season. "We don't feel superior to everyone, far from it, Hakimi said. The important thing is to enjoy ourselves when we play together. We have the same objectives and goals. We want to win for the club, for our team. It's fantastic to be able to celebrate winning."

Champions League statistics for PSG and Hakimi

PSG have spread goals across the squad in this Champions League campaign, supported by strong attacking numbers. Luis Enrique's side lead the competition for total goals with 36, overall attempts with 259, shots on target with 96 and touches in the opposition penalty area with 486, highlighting sustained pressure in almost every European outing this season.

Underlying metrics also show PSG outperforming expectations in attack. Their 36 Champions League goals come from 27.6 expected goals, meaning an overperformance of 8.4. Only Atletico Madrid, at 9.9, and Barcelona, at 8.9, exceed that figure this season. These numbers illustrate how clinical PSG have been compared with the quality of chances created.

Individually, Hakimi is close to making club history in Europe. The full-back currently has 54 appearances for PSG in the European Cup or Champions League, level with Angel Di Mara and Edinson Cavani. One more outing would move Hakimi into PSG's top five appearance makers in the competition, underlining long-term importance in continental matches.

Hakimi remains one of PSG's key creative outlets from defence. Only Bayern's Michael Olise, with six assists, has supplied more goals in this season's Champions League than Hakimi, who has five. That contribution supports the team's varied attacking threat, with chances and goals coming from several positions rather than relying on a single forward.

Champions League context for Liverpool and Luis Enrique's view

Liverpool's form in this season's Champions League has been inconsistent. Arne Slot's team have already lost four matches in the competition, matching their record for most defeats in a single campaign, which previously happened in 2006-07 and 2018-19. However, 2018-19 ended with Liverpool lifting the trophy despite those setbacks.

That 2018-19 season also delivered Liverpool's famous recovery from a heavy first-leg loss. The club overturned a deficit of at least two goals for the first and only time in the Champions League by defeating Barcelona in the semi-finals. PSG are therefore preparing for an environment where Liverpool and the Anfield crowd believe another turnaround is possible.

Luis Enrique underlined that nothing is settled ahead of the return leg. "It was only the first game. We have to play the second game, Luis Enrique said. When you play in this competition and play away it's always tough. And you're playing a team at Liverpool's level as well. Okay, they are trailing but it's still going to be difficult for us. We know there will be times when we experience difficulties playing against Liverpool."

With the second leg approaching, PSG carry a strong lead, impressive Champions League statistics and favourable predictive models, yet also a past of lost advantages and awareness of Liverpool's comeback history. Hakimi and Luis Enrique both stressed focus on fine details and collective effort as PSG attempt to reach the semi-finals from a demanding tie.