Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool to emulate their 4-0 victory over Barcelona in 2019 if they are to have any chance of making another historic Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain next week.
PSG defeated the Reds 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their quarterfinal match on Wednesday night.
As a result, Arne Slot’s team will need to make a significant comeback against the reigning European champions on Tuesday, April 14, at Anfield.
Van Dijk challenges his teammates to replicate Liverpool’s semi-final victory from seven years ago, when they overcame a three-goal deficit to upset Barcelona at Anfield and go to that season’s Champions League final, insisting that a comeback is not out of the question.
Van Dijk Speaks
“Back then, you play one of the best teams in Europe, with obviously one of the best players ever in that team (Lionel Messi) and we had injuries like you said,” the Reds skipper said as quoted by Liverpool Echo.
“And now we play against the best team in Europe. They’re obviously the European champion, so I think it is similar in terms of, on paper, probably no-one gives us a chance.
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“So it starts with the belief, it starts with the belief that comes within yourself. Starts with the belief that we get from our manager, the right game plan, and the intensity that we have to put in from the second one to the last if you really want to achieve something.
“That’s what I want. And that’s what I’m gonna tell my boys. We have to show it. We have show the desire, show the fight – that’s the least you have to do as a Liverpool player.”
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