Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk Up For Vast Psg Challenge But Admits Season ‘unacceptable’

Virgil van Dijk has compared nan standard of Liverpool’s task against Paris Saint-Germain to Barcelona successful 2019 but conceded belief whitethorn not beryllium arsenic beardown successful Arne Slot’s squad amid an “unacceptable” season.

Liverpool require different singular Anfield comeback to salvage their Champions League aspirations aft losing nan first limb of their quarter-final against PSG 2-0 connected Wednesday. The scoreline flattered nan Premier League champions, who were outclassed astatine nan Parc des Princes, yet Van Dijk is “100%” convinced nan necktie tin beryllium transformed connected location soil. Memories of Barcelona successful 2019 substance nan captain’s conviction.

Jürgen Klopp’s broadside were 3-0 down aft nan first leg of their semi-final against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona but won 4-0 connected an unforgettable night astatine Anfield en way to winning nan European Cup for a sixth time. Ousmane Dembélé’s wastefulness successful Paris, wherever he missed an almost identical chance to his stoppage clip effort astatine nan Camp Nou 7 years ago, offered different parallel for Liverpool to cling to.

“Back then, you play 1 of nan champion teams successful Europe, pinch evidently 1 of nan champion players ever successful that squad and we had injuries,” Van Dijk said. “And now we play against nan champion squad successful Europe. They’re the European champions, truthful I deliberation it is akin successful position of, connected paper, astir apt nary 1 gives america a chance.

“It starts pinch nan belief that comes wrong yourself. It starts pinch nan belief that we get from our manager, nan correct gameplan, and nan strength that we person to put successful from nan first 2nd to nan past if you really want to execute something. That’s what I want. And that’s what I’m going to show my boys. We person to show it. We person to show nan desire, show nan conflict – that’s nan slightest you person to do arsenic a Liverpool player.”

Van Dijk insisted Liverpool displayed nan conflict agaist Luis Enrique’s squad that was lacking successful past Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final conclusion by Manchester City. However, aft 16 defeats successful each competitions this season, 17 including nan loss connected penalties successful nan Community Shield, nan Netherlands’ world admits Liverpool’s existent broadside does not guidelines comparison pinch that of nan Klopp era.

“It’s unacceptable,” nan defender said of nan defeats. “It’s nan reality. It’s nan large reality, and that’s why it’s truthful disappointing. And it’s very reliable to woody pinch it. Things will yet ever travel to an end, including my clip astatine a definite point. At nan moment, nan reality is that we are inconsistent. We are losing excessively galore games. We’re having immoderate bully moments, and we don’t enactment accordant successful that sense.

Virgil van Dijk (in yellowish armband) tries to hit PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov successful nan air. Liverpool managed nary shots connected target successful Wednesday’s match. Photograph: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

“But location was a clip besides earlier we had each those bully years, and we came retired of that arsenic good arsenic a club. It’s down to america arsenic players to really realise that we person to do it each together. We request each other. At nan infinitesimal we suffer excessively galore games, and nan performances person conscionable not been bully and we are struggling to find consistency. It’s not easy. But nan reality is it is for illustration that, and you person to ain up to it, woody pinch it and amended it. At a definite constituent things travel to an extremity and past others person to transportation on, hopefully pinch successes.”

Liverpool had only 2 days to train pinch nan three-man cardinal defence that Slot deployed successful Paris, nan first clip he has adopted that statement successful his clip astatine Anfield. Despite losing 3 games successful succession, opening pinch nan 2-1 conclusion astatine Brighton, Van Dijk believes Liverpool’s betterment in nan past 16 against Galatasaray and past season’s capacity against PSG astatine Anfield connection dream for Tuesday’s 2nd leg.

The skipper added: “Obviously, it’s a different value squad that we look pinch each owed respect [to Galatasaray]. But nan crippled we played against them [PSG] past year, we mislaid connected penalties, but if you analyse that crippled we started truthful well, afloat of energy, created nan biggest chance successful Mo [Salah] erstwhile Nuno Mendes blocked nan ball. That could person changed nan game.

“You request everything clicking together to move this astir because we play against a squad that is conscionable outstanding successful each department. But it besides comes backmost to yourself, and to nan belief, and nan pride: we are Liverpool. That’s why this peculiar infinitesimal hurts truthful overmuch personally, and it should wounded arsenic good for everyone successful nan dressing room.”