Dr Phil Darter: Liverpool Must Stop PSG’s Midfield Dominance | OneFootball

PSG’s Central Control: The Champions League Challenge Facing Liverpool

Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield dominance will be Liverpool’s biggest concern when the two sides meet at Anfield. That was the stark warning from Dr Phil Barter, speaking on Anfield Index’s Stat Me Up podcast with Dave Davis.

“Slots got to make a decision on that,” Dr Barter emphasised. “This is their pass maps, which largely doesn’t change through any phase of the game. They have central dominance.”

It was a clear takeaway from the first leg—Liverpool struggled to gain control of the middle of the park, and Luis Enrique’s side exploited that weakness relentlessly.

Control Defines PSG’s Success

PSG’s ability to dictate play through the centre is what sets them apart, according to Dr Barter. “Three players, four players, three players, two players. And that gives you a basis by which they can consistently feed the forward line.”

This midfield strength allows Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to flourish in attacking positions. Liverpool’s full-backs were left in difficult one-on-one situations, something Andy Robertson struggled with in the first leg.

Dr Barter pointed out the flaw in Liverpool’s usual defensive approach: “Normally you have two things—you go man-on-man with the forward line and back yourself, right? Which Trent can do, and he obviously did okay. Robbo, not so much. He’s a little bit slower now, and he can’t manage it.”

The simple solution? Deny PSG the ball in dangerous areas. “Typically, you stop the ball at the source. You don’t let the ball get to the wide player. You need to suffocate them.”

Midfield Battle Will Be Key

The biggest tactical debate for Arne Slot revolves around his midfield selection. Should Liverpool stick with their usual shape, or should they pack the midfield to counter PSG’s numerical superiority?

Dr Barter explained: “At home, traditionally, we wouldn’t play four midfielders at home. We just wouldn’t. But if PSG put four against our two, we could end up watching the same passing sequences as the first leg. They’ll just keep feeding the forward players, and then it’ll come down to one-on-one battles.”

One potential tweak could be deploying Diogo Jota in a deeper role to help the midfield. “This is where Jota might be slightly better than Nunes,” Dr Barter noted. “Jota can drop in and play deeper next to Dom better than Nunes can. Not knocking Nunes, it’s just not what he does.”

Photo: IMAGO

Psychological Edge at Anfield?

While PSG will be full of confidence, Liverpool’s last-gasp winner in the first leg could weigh on their minds.

“If we can score early, it’s the classic PSG bit,” Dr Barter said. “If you score early, I think they’re done. They’ll be like, ‘We have beaten them, but we haven’t beaten them.’”

But Liverpool need to be ready for PSG’s response. “They feel they got robbed,” Barter added. “They feel Konaté should have been sent off, and they’re really annoyed that they conceded with the last kick of the game.”

With Anfield’s atmosphere set to play a huge role, Dr Barter believes Liverpool must make a fast start. “If we can impose ourselves on them for the first 15 minutes, that might just be what we need.”

The tactical battle between Luis Enrique and Arne Slot could define the tie. If Liverpool can limit PSG’s central control, they stand a real chance of progressing. But if PSG dominate the midfield again, Liverpool could face an uphill battle.