PSG v Liverpool Betting Markets
Some might argue that 1.90 about a Paris Saint-Germain win in this Champions League first leg clash is a value proposition. Luis Enrique's side are among the best in Europe and last season triumphed against allcomers. It's sure that PSG will be a warm order at this price considering the way in which Chelsea were dismantled.
The French champions ran riot at the Parc des Princes to claim a 5-2 victory against opponents who had no answer to the attacking threat. Then there was a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, with the European champions able to quickly extinguish the threat posed by their English opponents.
It might not be as straightforward against a Liverpool team who will look to put up a strong defence but it shouldn't be forgotten that Arne Slot's side lost 1-0 in Istanbul in the previous round. The Dutchman saw his team overturn that tie although they have proven inconsistent this season and recently lost 2-1 to Brighton in the Premier League.
Much depends on whether the defence can stand firm against PSG's mighty attacking threat, while the hope for Liverpool is that Mohamed Salah can produce his best form in a game where he's really needed. Hugo Ekitike will need no motivation when lining up against several of his compatriots but we're still sold on the idea of a home win here.
Luis Enrique's side are used to winning regularly in front of their own fans who will always create a big atmosphere for games such as this. They have won ten and drawn one of their twelve home encounters, with the team getting into the groove with those wins against Chelsea and then recording a 4-0 success at Nice.
Goals Under/Over
Over 2.5 Goals is trading at slightly bigger than 1.50, with that leading to the bookies giving it a 65% chance of happening. We know that PSG can cover this line all by themselves. It was something that they managed to do in both ties against Chelsea. The encounters either side of those games against the Blues also yielded four goals apiece including a 3-1 home reverse against Monaco.
In ten of the past eleven games involving Paris Saint-Germain, three or more goals have been scored. The only outlier was a 1-0 win at Le Havre. However, if you delve back into the Champions League group stage, there was a 1-1 draw against Newcastle where the Magpies gave as good as they got.
We should also note that Liverpool won 1-0 at this ground last season in the round of sixteen. The flip side is that Paris created enough chances to win several football matches and we might expect a different story when the big two clubs meet.
BTTS
The BTTS Yes odds are trading at 1.50 which implies a 66% chance of that happening. We need to point out that this outcome did not happen in either clash between the sides last season. A 1-0 win for Liverpool in the French capital was followed by a 1-0 victory for PSG at Anfield, with the tie eventually going to penalties where Enrique's side went through.
Liverpool will not necessarily approach this first leg from an attacking point-of-view. They simply want to be in a position where they can go through at Anfield. They will want to put players behind the ball and defend in deep blocks. It's not terrible if they are beaten by a single goal as that will still give them a chance to go through.
Aside from those two BTTS No games against Galatasaray, the vast majority of recent Liverpool clashes have finished with BTTS Yes. Five consecutive domestic clashes ended this way after a lucky 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest. Arne Slot's side generally find a way to score although we can't get away from their failure to break down a stubborn Galatasaray defence in Istanbul.
First Goalscorer
Take your pick from the array of Paris Saint-Germain players capable of finding the net. Interestingly, Nuno Mendes scored a penalty away to Nice on 21 March and the defender could be worth an interest if we think he's been afforded spot kick duties again.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a talented forward who was able to hammer home the advantage against Chelsea by scoring two late goals in the first leg. The player has fourteen to his name this term and that includes one of the three that the European champions were able to score at Stamford Bridge.
Bradley Barcola doesn't always get lots of game time although the French international has been taking his chances recently. The youngster has scored in five of his previous six clashes at the time of writing. It was only a Champions League clash against Monaco where he pulled up short and could be a good anytime scorer pick.
Liverpool will hope that Hugo Ekitike can stretch the play and he's probably the most likely scorer for the team. It's hard to be too confident about Mohamed Salah considering the Egyptian has had a difficult season, with Cody Gakpo likely to earn a start.