Liverpool manager Arne Slot has warned his team that they need to significantly improve their performance if they want to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. The Reds are set to host Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Wednesday, after securing a 1-0 lead in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie.
Slot described the match as the second of “three finals” in a week, with Liverpool also facing Newcastle in the League Cup final on Sunday. Despite their lead, Slot is taking nothing for granted, especially after PSG’s dominant performance in the first leg.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was instrumental in securing the win, making nine saves to deny PSG. Becker described his performance as the “best of his life.” However, Slot knows that his team cannot rely solely on their goalkeeper’s heroics.
The Dutchman was critical of his team’s sluggish first-half display against Southampton in Saturday’s 3-1 win. Liverpool trailed at halftime but turned the game around with three second-half goals, including two penalties from Mohamed Salah.
Slot made three halftime substitutions and admitted that his team’s energy levels were low in the first half. “The only good thing in the first 45 minutes was that they saved their energy (for PSG) and didn’t run at all,” he said.
Salah revealed that Slot was furious with the team’s performance at halftime, saying, “The manager was really going for us. That’s something you need sometimes.”
Slot has shown his ruthless side when necessary, keeping Liverpool on course for a potential treble. However, he knows that his team needs to improve significantly if they want to overcome PSG and advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
“We need to step up in intensity,” Slot said. “If I compare it with today’s game, we need to go three, four, five, six, or even seven steps up if we want any chance of reaching the next round.”
Liverpool will be looking to capitalize on their lead and secure a spot in the quarter-finals. With Slot’s warning ringing in their ears, the Reds will need to put in a much-improved performance to overcome the French champions.