PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain have refused to accept the idea that they are strong favourites for their Champions League quarterfinal with Liverpool, amid the Premier League side's domestic slump.
Out of the Premier League title race. Routed in the FA Cup. Mounting questions over the manager's future. A star forward set to leave. A disgruntled captain saying his team gave up. Liverpool head into the first leg the quarterfinal on Wednesday in disarray. A far cry from when the sides met in the round of 16 last year.
Back then, Liverpool were romping to the Premier League title, new manager Arne Slot was the toast of the city and Mohamed Salah was at his brilliant best. By contrast PSG had struggled to get out of the Champions League group stage and observers were questioning coach Luis Enrique's methods.
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PSG scraped through on penalties against Liverpool after an intense battle over two legs and went on to win the Champions League for the first time with a rout of Inter Milan in the final.
But PSG are blocking out any talk about being the favorite this time.
"Favorite according to you [the media]," PSG midfielder Vitinha told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the first leg at the Parc des Princes. "The same way you said last year that Liverpool was.
"Even if Liverpool are not in their best form they remain a great team with great players."
Vitinha applauds fabs following Paris Saint-Germain's win over Toulouse on Friday. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images PSG are closing in on another French title but Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, a hefty 21 points behind leaders Arsenal. Following a crushing 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, captain Virgil van Dijk said his side "gave up" and he apologized to fans.
"With this team, it's impossible to have a favourite," insisted PSG coach Luis Enrique said. "I don't believe it.
"Who are the favourites? If you remember last year, everyone said it was Liverpool, and the team that qualified [for the next round] was Paris Saint-Germain. For me, there is no favourite."
PSG will be without Bradley Barcola and Fabián Ruiz for the first leg at the Parc des Princes, where Harvey Elliott, now on loan at Aston Villa, fired Liverpool to a barely believable 1-0 win last term.