Amid a domestic crisis, Arne Slot’s Liverpool desperately need a Champions League victory at Anfield against a confident but inconsistent PSV Eindhoven side to shift their momentum.
Liverpool returns to Anfield tonight seeking a crucial victory against Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, aiming to shake off domestic troubles that have seen their form described by captain Virgil van Dijk as a “mess.”
Liverpool returns to Anfield tonight for a critical Champions League fixture against PSV Eindhoven, with manager Arne Slot desperately needing a response following a tumultuous period of domestic form.
According to a report from EPL Index, the contest brings with it a sharp contrast in mood, as the Premier League champions of 2024 find themselves in an unfamiliar struggle.
Their recent 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest left them in 11th place after twelve league games—a position the club has not occupied for a decade.
Six defeats in seven Premier League matches have “punctured belief and rhythm,” prompting fresh scrutiny.
Europe, however, has offered brief refuge for Slot’s team, with a 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid earlier this month hinting at the composure the club fears losing domestically.
Other continental successes include edging out Atletico Madrid and thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 away from home, despite a loss to Galatasaray.
Liverpool’s struggles were starkly reflected by captain Virgil van Dijk this week, who offered a scathing assessment, conceding that the Reds’ form had been a “mess.”
The loss to Forest was described as the “worst performance of the season,” with the team looking “devoid of confidence, cohesion and organisation.”
Liverpool’s preparations for the 8 pm GMT kick-off have centred on stability. Alisson returned against Forest after two months out with a hamstring issue.
Florian Wirtz remains sidelined with a muscular problem, while Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are ruled out with muscle and hamstring injuries, respectively. History favours the Reds, who have won five of their previous seven meetings with PSV.
Tonight’s visitors, PSV, top the Eredivisie, six points clear of Feyenoord, having won 11 of their 13 league fixtures.
Peter Bosz’s side is dynamic and technically polished, yet their European results are described as erratic. They famously “hit Napoli for six” but also lost to Union Saint-Gilloise. PSV will be without Ruben van Bommel, who is out for the season, and Alassane Plea.