Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool will have to create one of those special nights under the Anfield lights if they are to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

They go into the second leg of their quarter-final against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday trailing 2-0.

PSG had 18 shots to Liverpool's three in the first leg, of which six were on target for the French side and none for Liverpool, while the holders dominated the ball with 74% possession.

"I don't think they can afford to go with five at the back," said former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock on BBC Radio 5 Live. "It went against all the beliefs of Liverpool fans and almost what Arne Slot has spoken about this year on how he wants to play football.

"He doesn't want to be a defensive team that take long throws and set-pieces, and that's exactly what they tried to do out in Paris and it didn't work.

"They're going to have to go for it. It's going to be fascinating how this plays out because if they open up too much then Paris St-Germain have that quality to take you to pieces and they will be more clinical than other teams.

"My heart says they'll put on a great performance and get something out of the game, but it might not be enough.

"My head says I think this could be a really tough night. I think this could be one of those games where there's a lot of optimism around it, but the quality of Paris St-Germain might just be too much.

"The only thing I would say is there have been performances this season where you think 'I didn't see that coming'. That's the problem with Liverpool at the moment - they're very Jekyll and Hyde."

The Opta Supercomputer gives Liverpool a 15.3% chance of progressing to the semi-finals. The winner of the tie will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for a place in the final.

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Arne Slot hasn't got much right this season.

That said, his management of Rio Ngumoha has actually impressed me.

The teenager is a phenomenal talent, but he's not long 17 and you have to be careful in terms of his development. In total, he's played 23 matches, the majority off the bench, but he got his chance from the outset against Fulham on Saturday.

And boy did he take it. The wonderkid scored a beautiful goal and was involved in the build-up to Mohamed Salah's effort that finished the game. He rightly won the man of the match award.

As one superstar winger leaves the club this summer, are we witnessing the start of another's journey? Maybe.

Ngumoha has the fastest feet of any player I've ever seen. He's precocious and brave on the ball and seems to make good decisions in the box - which is a huge thing.

Now, it'll be interesting to see if Slot uses him from the beginning against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday.

My bet is that he'll start on the bench, with Slot putting Florian Wirtz on the left and Hugo Ekitike up top.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Image source, Getty Images

On Monday we asked you whether youngster Rio Ngumoha should start for Liverpool in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St-Germain.

The 17-year-old started and impressed against Fulham on Saturday, scoring and assisting in the 2-0 win.

A total of 84% of those of you who voted said the talented forward should start against the European champions, with 12% saying maybe but he would a better option off the bench and 3% voting that it would be too much pressure.

When asked in his pre-match news conference about Ngumoha's chances of starting , Arne Slot said: "He can cope with this type of game because of his personality."

Former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live he would also like to see Rio Ngumoha start on Tuesday because "he's dangerous" and "a threat."

"It's is a difficult one because he's the player that is igniting the Anfield crowd at the moment," said Warnock. "He's the one getting them off their feet, and he's the one who carries a threat going forward.

"It's going to be a difficult one, a difficult call. I fully expect him to go with [Cody] Gakpo or [Florian] Wirtz on that left-hand side and I think Ngumoha will come off the bench a little later on.

"The only problem then is it could be too late, so Slot's got a little bit of a dilemma there. Whether he trusts the youngster or not let's wait and see.

"Personally, I'd give him a go because he's dangerous. But you will have to rely on other players to cover him and make sure they protect that left-hand side."

You can add your choice here

• Listen to Slot's news conference for the game

• Listen to Szoboszlai speak to the media

Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on RB Leipzig captain David Raum having been impressed with the 27-year-old Germany left-back during scouting missions this season. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool are set to evaluate handing a new contract to 33-year-old Brazil goalkeeper Alisson next season. (Football Insider), external

Former Liverpool and Paris St-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is keen to make a return to the Premier League next season, with the 35-year-old Dutchman's contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq expiring this summer. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final against Paris St-Germain at Anfield (20:00 BST).

The Reds trail 2-0 from the first leg.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On whether Liverpool can overturn the two-goal deficit, Slot said: "We've shown so many times this season in big games we are able to get a big performance. Many were very good. In 49 home games over the last year-and-a-half, in 36 we have scored two goals or more. We have not played all these 49 games against Paris St-Germain, but the Premier League and Champions League opponents we had were very strong. So there is a belief we can do special things tomorrow but we know we need to be very special because we are playing the champions of Europe."

• Will he play a back three again like in the first leg?: "People find it very hard to believe but the approach is not so different tomorrow as it was in Paris. People who know me know I don't put out a team that defends in a low block for 90 minutes. You could see we pressed them high on multiple occasions. The approach tomorrow will be to take the risk, press them, but we saw how difficult that is."

• On the importance of a fast start: "We know we need an exceptional performance to go through, but that's normal if you're playing the champions of Europe and 2-0 down. Let's make sure we can get back into the tie and the best way is scoring the first goal. Saturday showed the importance of a goal. First 20 minutes we were the better team by far. Then it was more even for 10 minutes and then we scored and scored again. That is what you can do in football."

• Slot was asked about Ibrahima Konate, who has previously been linked with a move to PSG and is out of contract at the end of the season: "It's going to be a special evening for Ibou only for a small part because he's French but a big part as he's playing in the quarter-final of the Champions League. The answer is always the same, we don't talk about contracts in public."

• On 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who scored and assisted against Fulham on Saturday, and the expectations around him: "He can cope with this type of game because of his personality, he doesn't get distracted. Everyone who knows his history more knows he has had a lot of expectation for many years and he's always been able to focus on football and become better and stronger. At 17 he has already had multiple starts for Liverpool and the second thing is his quality."

• Slot says he believes the Anfield crowd can be "even louder than last season": "Just as important as our performance. We have to be much, much, much better than last season. Their players think they know what is coming up and it's up to Anfield to find a next level. That won't be easy as the atmosphere that night was incredible. But I think our fans are up for it to make it louder. First of all they will expect a better performance from us. Our fans, I can trust them to be even louder than last season."

Listen to live commentary of Liverpool v PSG on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Follow all of Monday's European news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Liverpool? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai says overturning the 2-0 first leg deficit against Paris St-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final second leg tie at Anfield would be the "biggest comeback of my career".

"I completely believe we can overturn it [the 2-0 deficit] because I know what we are able to do and what players we have," he said ahead of Tuesday's game.

"I know the mentality we have as we have shown it many times. That is what we need tomorrow.

"We are going to go all in and give our best from minute one to 90, or more. I am ready to die on the pitch tomorrow.

"I want it so bad, we have worked for it so hard. In one game anything can happen at Anfield.

"Of course it would be one of the biggest comebacks in my career. Especially for Liverpool. Against PSG in the quarter-final of the Champions League, after being 2-0 down."

In a difficult season for the Reds, Szoboszlai has been a standout performer. However, there was a moment of tension when he shrugged his shoulders and motioned towards the travelling Liverpool fans after the 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City.

Asked about his reaction, the midfielder played it down and apologised for any offence caused.

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding between the fans and I," he added.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. Obviously I know what the fans mean to this club and what this club means to the fans.

"As a player, we do everything for them as we do for us.

"If it was a misunderstanding I apologise but they can feel also that I'm not feeling better than them. I'm feeling exactly the same as they do.

"To make it clear I am with them, we are with them and hopefully they are with us as well."

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says the Reds must make it a "memorable night" if they are to overturn a two-goal deficit against Paris St-Germain and provide a classic Anfield Champions League occasion on Tuesday.

Arne Slot's side trail 2-0 from last week's first leg in the Parc des Princes, but beat Fulham 2-0 at home on Saturday to build some momentum before the visit of the European champions.

"We need something very special to happen otherwise we will have no chance," said van Dijk.

"If we play like we did in Paris then we will have no chance anyway, in my opinion.

"The fans will probably be the most important factor, together with our performance.

"I've been very lucky to experience those nights where the connection between the fans and the performance has been unbelievable.

"There is an opportunity on Tuesday to come up with a good gameplan and fight for it for 90-plus minutes.

"I am really looking forward to it. It's a privilege to be in the quarter-finals regardless. We shouldn't take that for granted.

"We have to remember we are Liverpool. We have to make it a memorable night."

Against the Cottagers, fans unveiled banners to protest against ticket price increases and boycotted spending money at food and drink outlets inside the stadium.

On fan discontent, Van Dijk added: "I think the fans are the heart and soul of the club and if they feel like this, to protest, obviously it's their right.

"Hopefully they come to a solution with the club, but these things are far above me as the captain of the club.

"In my opinion our fans are the club and have always been, before my time, after my time.

"It's important that these things get solved because it benefits no-one."

The Premier League's return this weekend brought all sorts of feelings to the surface again for Liverpool fans.

Their much-needed 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield came amid fan protests against proposed ticket price increases.

Liverpool's 17-year-old prodigy Rio Ngumoha stole the show, impressing on the left wing and providing the opening goal which set Arne Slot's side on their way to three points.

One fan wrote in to say Ngumoha "demonstrated why he should start more often" in his most recent performance, but BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty believes starting him against Paris St-Germain would be "a high-risk strategy".

Cast your vote on whether he should feature in the starting XI here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Tracy: Excellent and welcome result from the Reds. Rio Ngumoha was superb and deadly accurate. Let's see more from our 17-year-old please, a class player.

Michael: A good win but Liverpool only play in moments, relying on individual brilliance to win games. And we completely dropped off after 60-minutes, which seems to be the usual. At least Rio started and Dominik Szoboszlai was playing as an eight, which is his best position. Good for Alexander Isak to get minutes as well. Harder tests to come against more physical teams, starting with PSG and then Everton away, which I'm already dreading.

Ben: Much better than recent outings and, yet again, Rio Ngumoha demonstrates why he should start more often. Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard were both around 17 when they burst onto the scene and look how they progressed. Ngumoha can be like them, if not better, but he needs more starts. He must start against PSG on Tuesday if we're to have any chance of turning that tie around, otherwise we could risk another big club coming in for him and risk losing such an extraordinary talent.

Oliver: We can't kid ourselves. A positive win but we could still end up getting a thrashing in the next Premier League game. But speaking of kids, young Ngumoha is an exceptional talent. Of course you want to protect him physically but whoever is in the dugout next season must pick him as a starter. Fantastic performance!

Fulham fans

Mike: It looked like Liverpool were the team who had had three weeks off. Fulham just weren't in the game from the beginning. I hope we don't make it into a European competition because we just don't have the depth needed and, unfortunately, the squad we have is not good enough to compete in Europe

Louis: Defensively great, but we lacked drive to move the ball forwards and to create chances. The midfield and attack had many gaps which really impacted us. Some tactics need to change because this isn't the first time!

Jan: We seem to play with no real belief when we meet the big teams. A poor first half was all that was required to miss out, and this seems to be a pattern. We've had chances all through the season to make progress up the table and we always bottle it. It's so disappointing as the talent is there but not the belief.

Robbie: What we have come to expect at this time of the season. No real desire from anyone that showed we were playing for a shot at Europe! The manager situation doesn't help in my opinion either, it feels like every negative result is nothing to do with his selection or tactics and edges him more towards his exit door.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

The strains of Duran Duran's 80s hit 'Rio' swept around Anfield after the pressure and scrutiny that has been closing in on Arne Slot and Liverpool was relieved - for now - by victory against Fulham.

It was played in celebration of the brilliance of Rio Ngumoha.

He was born 26 years after the song was released - but on this day it was a timely soundtrack of celebration after the 17-year-old delivered an electrifying performance.

Ngumoha not only answered their call for inspiration in these troubled times with a goal and a starring role in a win which kept Liverpool fifth in the Premier League table, he also gave his head coach a dilemma.

If fortune favours the brave, does he now start the teenage prodigy in an attempt to retrieve the deficit when Champions League holders Paris St-Germain come to Anfield on Tuesday night?

Slot and Liverpool needed a spark with the club's season at a pivotal point - step forward Ngumoha to provide it.

Indeed, including Ngumoha would be a high-risk strategy and Slot's natural default this season has been conservatism. He will also be wary of PSG's threat on the counter-attack, which has already torn apart better teams than this current Liverpool side.

The other side of the argument asks: what has Slot got to lose?

He played his cards close to his chest post-match. "Rio showed why I play him more and more and more, because he is getting stronger and stronger, fitter and fitter, more and more ready to play at this level at 17 years of age," Slot said.

"He dominated his 1v1 situations, which is crucial, and that's why we went 1-0 up."

He was a constant threat on Liverpool's left-flank against Fulham, deservedly receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted after 69 minutes.

Was that to preserve his energy levels for Tuesday? Or was it simply because Slot felt the youngster had done enough?

The odds are probably against Ngumoha starting against PSG, but most observers would suggest he is contributing more than the subdued Cody Gakpo.

He is a guaranteed star of the future, but will Slot be bold enough to make him a star of Liverpool's present by playing him?

Read Phil McNulty's full article here

Liverpool and Chelsea are set to battle it out for 19-year-old Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, with the Cherries willing to accept an offer in the region of £60m. (Caught Offside, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 2-2 Everton

• Burnley 0-2 Brighton

• Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

BBC Radio 5 Live commentator and senior football reporter Ian Dennis speaking on The Commentators' View podcast about protests against ticket-price increases: "We've got to be very, very careful that, and this isn't just at Liverpool, but there are a lot of Premier League clubs that are going down the road of trying to tap in to the tourist fan, those that just come over for the weekend.

"From a commercial point of view, I can see the value of it, but I think from a football point of view, where football matters most, and that comes from the soul, then I think it's really worrying because you can't ignore your loyal match-going fan. You can't show them the sort of like disdain that some owners are looking to try and do and it has a knock-on effect as well with the atmospheres.

"The atmospheres are not as good as they used to be because you're now getting supporters who are just coming in for the experience and don't ignore your loyal, hard-working, hard-paying, match-going supporter that has followed that club with devotion year after year, season after season, through the good times and the bad times they've been there no matter what and I think we can't ignore the supporters.

"That's why when they had the campaign about 20s plenty I'm fully behind the supporters' initiatives to try and say 'no we're the ones that matter', not not the ones who are flying in from abroad for a weekend away with a group of supporters.

"It's the supporters then who will pay the hard money will follow their team home and away, come what may."

Listen to The Commentators' View

Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to BBC MOTD about the importance of the win: "Important - if you look at the league table important and also the FA Cup defeat to Man City and in Champions League to PSG. You want to see an improvement after a loss I think I got that maybe not in quality but in work rate."

On squad rotation: "It was needed. Our schedule, three games in six days and two of them are PSG - that's hard. Looking at it two days ago I felt tired looking at it so what that means for the players - the physical part and also what it means for the mental part after losing 4-0 and 2-0."

On Rio Ngumoha: "I have said before he's getting stronger, that will result in more playing time. He's getting more playing time and he showed today how important his quality is for us."

On Mohamed Salah's goal: "He's scored many of them like this. Mo is a top class finisher and we have to try and bring him in those positions as much as we can. Today he was there and he finished well, we had quite a comfortable lead at half time but nothing is done at half time so we had to fight for second half."

Big win in context of race for Champions League: "It is but we know it cannot be the last one. We need much more in the coming weeks and you can see every week how tough it is to get the wins over the line in the league. To have this win is important but we can't celebrate too much because we have another intense game coming up and a few days after that too."

You can listen to Slot and Ngumoha on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Mohamed Salah's goal for Liverpool meant he reached 250 non-penalty goals and assists in the Premier League (157 goals, 93 assists), becoming the fifth player to do so after Wayne Rooney (288), Ryan Giggs (269), Alan Shearer (268) and Andrew Cole (259).

• Only Arsenal (19) and Manchester City (17) have won more Premier League games this season when scoring first than Liverpool.

• Liverpool have scored in 28 of their 32 games, only Arsenal (29) have scored goals in more matches in the Premier League this season.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool's fans needed something to lift their misery after those dismal losses to Manchester City and PSG, as well as mounting discontent over ticket price rises announced by the club's owners.

The Kop carried an unfamiliar look, with the flags that are such an integral part of Anfield's atmosphere removed as part of the protest.

And after the game started, a group of fans marched in front of The Kop carrying a large banner emblazoned with the message: "No To Ticket Price Increases".

It was against this backdrop that Liverpool finally produced something for a fanbase that has watched the champions' remarkable decline this season to cheer.

And central to that was 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who was in dazzling form on Liverpool's left-flank, crucially producing the opening goal after 36 minutes with a perfect right-foot finish just as Fulham started to threaten.

Mohamed Salah provided a flash of the old magic four minutes later with a carbon copy finish from the other side of the area.

Ngumoha was given a deserved standing ovation when he was substituted after 69 minutes.

Liverpool still face a mammoth task to overturn a 2-0 deficit against PSG on Tuesday, but at least this win will give Slot's team a much-needed lift in confidence.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Mohammed Salah returns to Liverpool's starting line-up against Fulham after being dropped for the Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain.

He comes in, along with Andrew Roberson, who will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, along with Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha.

Milos Kerkez, Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Hugo Ekitike and Ryan Gravenberch make way.

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Jones, Salah, Wirtz, Ngumoha, Gakpo

Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Kerkez, Isak, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Ekitike, Gravenberch, Nyoni

Fulham are unchanged from the team that Burnley in their last game three weeks ago.

Fulham XI: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Iwobi, Berge, Wilson, King, Bobb, Rodrigo Muniz

Subs: Lecomte, Jimenez, Cairney, Cuenca, Chukwueze, Lukic, Sessegnon, Diop, Smith Rowe

Image source, BBC Sport

It feels like a lot of Liverpool fans have made their minds up about Arne Slot, and that is that he needs to go.

That still feels harsh to me - after all, Slot won the Premier League last season.

I agree this has been a disappointing campaign, but surely winning a title in your first year buys you some time?

Liverpool are clearly not playing well at the moment, though. I've been thinking for a while now that they're going to get out of this slump because of the players they have, but when you watch them there's nothing to suggest it will happen and they have been so inconsistent for so long now.

They went to a back five in Wednesday's defeat at Paris St-Germain and the optics of that were not great for Slot. By playing with an extra centre-half, they just looked like they were trying to hang on in there.

Fulham are a good side and I can see them causing Liverpool problems too, no matter what shape Slot goes with this time.

It finished 2-2 when these two sides met at Craven Cottage in January, and I have a feeling there will be a few goals this time as well.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here