Battle of the Stars: Who Will Shine in PSG vs. Liverpool?

Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain will face-off in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, in a high-stakes European showdown between two of the best teams of the continent. Both teams are led by some of the finest players in the world that will undoubtedly play crucial roles in this tie to qualify their side for the quarter-finals of the competition. Therefore, a simple question needs to be asked, who will be the game-changers in this European clash?

PSG's star players

1. Ousmane Dembélé

Ousmane Dembélé will undoubtedly play a crucial role for PSG in this tie, the Frenchman has reached new heights since the beginning of the year. The former FC Barcelona star is the top scorer of the club, becoming lethal in front of goals. However, he will face Virgil Van Dijk and Konaté who form one of the best centre back pairs in the world at the moment and it will not be easy to get past them. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old has all the qualities to perform in this high-stakes clash.

2. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Since joining the club from Napoli in the last transfer window, Kvaratskhelia has been slowly adapting to his new environment, though it was not easy, the Georgia international has already scored two goals for Paris and has shown real signs of improvements. In the two legs against Liverpool, the 24-year-old will be expected to play a crucial part in Paris qualification. Furthermore, many fans and pundits will have a keen eye on his duel against Trent Alexander-Arnold.

3. Vitinha

Vitinha is the leader of Paris' midfield and a key player of Luis Enrique's system. The Portuguese seemed to have dramatically improved since the arrival of the Spaniard on PSG's bench last season and he will be one of the key figures of this tie.

Liverpool's star players

4. Mohamed Salah

Mo Salah is certainly the best player in the world this season. He is on course for a historic Premier League campaign and is a constant threat for his opponents. Even though is future at the club is unclear, the Egyptian has showcased his commitment to the Merseyside club all season long. With the prospect of a Ballon d'Or at the end of the season, Salah will look to add another Champions League trophy to his collection which would certainly secure him the award at the end of the season.

5. Virgil Van Dijk

Van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world, and led Liverpool to successes in the Premier League and the Champions League. While his future at the club remains undeclared, he is proving that he is still a key figure at the club under Arne Slot. The Dutchman will undoubtedly be one of the difference-makers against Paris and his upcoming battle with Ousmane Dembélé is a must-watch.

6. Trent Alexander-Arnold

The England international is going to play an important role in these two legs. Which will be mostly for his ability to efficiently defend on Paris' offensive trio. In Luis Enrique's system, the three players up front are constantly in motion, switching of position which makes it difficult to read for the defenders. His ability to withstand such pressure is certainly what could lead his side to the next round.

Who has the upper hand?

Both teams will provide a fairly even match-up to fans all-around the world. At the top of their respective league these two giants are in excellent form ahead of their clash with a lot of offensive fire power on both sides.

Salah and Dembélé are definitely the ones to watch on both sides with both players having their best seasons in their respective clubs. Nonetheless, defences are going to be the most important area of the tie as both sides will look to keep their balance while attacking in this area, players such as Vitinha or Mac Allister are going to play crucial roles.

To conclude, Les Parisiens seems to be in a better form than their opponents at the moment, even though Paris has not faced a team of this caliber this season yet.