UCL: Three reasons why Liverpool can beat PSG at Anfield

The 2018/19 UEFA Champions League campaign gets underway on Tuesday, with every club looking to get off to the best possible start on the first night of Europe's premier knock-out competition. One of the headline fixtures on the opening night is Liverpool FC vs Paris Saint Germain of France, with the Reds looking to build on last season's run to the final, while the Parisian's aim to avenge the European disappointments suffered in recent years, as they try to make the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 1995.

Group C has been dubbed the `Group of Death' by fans and experts across the globe, with PSG, Liverpool, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade all looking to secure entry into the knock-out stages and avoid dropping into the second-tier Europa League or out of European football altogether. This fixture between the Ligue 1 champions and last season's UCL runners-up could dictate who progresses to the next stage and their round-of-sixteen opponents.

Here are three reasons why Liverpool can beat PSG and assert their authority over this group and send an ominous message to their continental rivals.

The atmosphere on a European night at Anfield

A group of Liverpool fans surrounding the Manchester City bus

The noise, atmosphere and the chanting of You'll Never Walk Alone on a European night at Anfield remains one of football's greatest soundtracks. The cauldron created by the Liverpool faithful can inspire and galvanise the Reds bringing the very best out of Jurgen Klopp's eleven, with this reception proving too hot to handle for many of Liverpool's opponents in last season's Champions League campaign.

The opening leg against Manchester City in the quarter-final stage was a perfect case in point, with some of the more hostile and raucous Liverpool fans even throwing flares and missiles at the City team bus before kick-off.

This overly-extreme tactic certainly unnerved Pep Guardiola and his side, as the Spaniard's team conceded 3 goals in the opening 31 minutes, with Oxlade Chamberlain, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah putting the tie almost out-of-reach after only half-an-hour. The normally assured defense containing Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker made countless errors in that first-half blitz from Liverpool, as they looked short of composure and awareness. The first semi-final tie against Roma followed a similar pattern as Salah's brace put the Reds two-nil up before half-time.

PSG will have to deal with an atmosphere described by Alex Oxlade Chamberlain as "the best I've ever played in". The PSG side boasts World Cup winners in Kylian Mbappe and Gianluigi Buffon as well as former European Champions in Neymar and Dani Alves, with Edinson Cavani and Marco Verrati not short of top-level experience themselves. The combination, however, of strong opposition and a vivacious buzz around Anfield could prove the French side's undoing.

A resilient defense that can withstand the attacking pressure

The two most expensive signings in Liverpool's history (Virgil Van Dijk and Allison)

Much is made of Liverpool's fearsome trident of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane who together scored 30 goals between them in the 2017/18 campaign; a record total for any trio in Champions League history.

Their defense, however, has proved sturdy and resilient during the start of this season, with the Reds only conceding two goals in their opening five Premier League games. Apart from the opening day victory against West Ham, all of Liverpool's wins have required a high level of concentration and intensity for the full ninety minutes, as they ground out wins against Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Leicester. The Reds look to have been cruising at 2-0 when playing the Foxes at the King Power Stadium but that all changed after Allison's comedic error in the 53rd minute which put Klopp's side under unnecessary pressure.

The acquisition of Virgil Van Dijk in January and the emergence of Trent Alexander, Joe Gomez, and Andy Robertson allowed Liverpool to see out that game and take home all three points. In the match against Brighton, Alisson's save from Glenn Murray in the dying moments of the match denied the Seagulls a crucial away point at Anfield as the Brazilian retained his focus despite being a spectator for most of the game.

The Parisian's will no doubt have a period of dominance on Tuesday, given their prolific frontline but now have the tools to cope more effectively. Set pieces and getting to the second ball seemed like an inherent weakness in every Liverpool defense in recent years but the now watertight back four looks more aware and focused than before.

PSG are known to crack under pressure

PSG players after their 3-1 loss to Real Madrid last season

Paris Saint-Germain has always had the squad necessary to make the latter stages of the Champions League, with commanding players such as Thiago Silva and the legendary Gianluigi Buffon allied with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Verratti who provide youth and exuberance, they are among the candidates to go deep in this year's tournament. Their biggest frailty has instead been the pressure to deliver on the grandest stage in club football.

PSG's struggles in the Champions League started in 2013 when they found themselves in a commanding position against FC Barcelona after a 2-2 draw at home. Javier Pastore gave the Parisian's the crucial away goal in the second leg against the Catalans ten minutes into the second half. An equaliser, however, from Pedro twenty minutes from time sent the French outfit packing as Carlo Ancelotti's side failed to hold on to the lead.

An even bigger calamity took place in the same fixture four years later as PSG squandered a 4-0 advantage heading into the second leg at the Camp Nou, with Unai Emery's side conceding three goals in the space of eight minutes in one of football's most extraordinary comebacks. Last season's Champion's League exit followed a similar pattern to prior years, as PSG took the lead against Real Madrid thanks to Adrien Rabiot. A failure to capitalise on their lead allowed Madrid a route back into the match and resulted in the Spanish side coming out on top as 3-1 winners.

Some poor defending in crucial moments allied with a lack of big-match experience has proven costly in PSG's pursuit of European glory. The backline of Presnel Kimpembe, Thiago Silva, Thomas Meunier, and Layvin Kurzawa provides great energy and dynamism in attacking areas but can leave PSG short defensively.