PSG vs Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp calls on side to be ‘really ugly’ in crucial Champions League match

Napoli, PSG, Liverpool and Red Star are separated by just two points in Group C

Jurgen Klopp wants his side to be as ugly as possible when they face Paris Saint-Germain in a must-win Champions League group clash which will go a long way to deciding which team qualifies from one of the most competitive groups in the competition.

Napoli and Liverpool have six points but PSG closely follow on five and Red Star Belgrade prop up Group C with four points. The Reds host Napoli in the final match, which makes getting a positive result in Paris on Wednesday of paramount importance.

The run to the final last season saw Liverpool play aggressive and attacking football that would blow away their opponents in a matter of minutes, but this year has seen a more measured approach and this passive nature arguably cost Klopp’s side in Naples when they were beaten by Lorenzo Insigne’s late strike.

With PSG strolling to 14 victories from as many matches in their near-comically one-sided domestic league, Klopp suggested that his team will have to be as difficult as possible to play against in order to get the win they so desperately need.

“PSG are so dominant in the league, we have to make sure they are not that dominant here. The boys are 100 per cent focused, and hopefully we can see that tomorrow night,” said Klopp.

“Paris know that we are not easy to play. We have to be at our best, but if we are then we are not nice to play against. That’s what we have to be, really ugly to play against.

“Nobody expects us to be the 500 per cent better football team tomorrow. Little mistakes can be decisive. I’m not worried. My team were always psychologically ready. They weren’t at their best in Belgrade, then I can easily accept that. I don’t have to point finger constantly.”

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were injury doubts for the French champions but they trained on Monday and now appear likely to feature, and Klopp was delighted to learn that they will start as he brushed off suggestions that he and the French media were playing mind games over team selection, which included the fitness of Sadio Mane, who was reported to be unwell before travelling to Paris.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are set to feature against Liverpool (AFP/Getty Images)

“There were no mind games. We always expected Mbappe and Neymar to play. Sadio was on the plane, I then got off the plane and took an hour and a half to get to the press conference. If nothing happens, he’ll be fine.

“We will see which midfield, which system we use. We could line up in a few different ways.

“We want to win games. It’s quite a while that we won the last [CL] game actually. We are here tomorrow night to win, with all we have. We want to be as good as possible, just for us and our supporters. It’s a tough one, eh, to come to Paris and win? But we should try!

“Two very ambitious teams will face each other in an interesting situation in the group. It’s exciting. The more difficult it is, the more I enjoy the preparation.”

“What do I expect? I think PSG are a team that will go for a win. They are of a very high level. Tuchel is a very creative manager, who always works on solutions. That means we have to be prepared for different scenarios.”

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez ruled himself fit to start alongside Virgil Van Dijk and said he is looking forward to going up against Neymar and PSG’s star-studded side.

“We expect PSG to play their strongest team. Regardless of who’s playing, we have to be ready for that,” he said.

“We know they are top players, their strike force is something they are known worldwide for. But we have fundamentals we stick to, we prepare for different formations, setups, but our general philosophy defending remains the same.

“Everyone knows how good a player he is, but it’s not just Neymar. It’s the whole team.”