Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has sent out a stark warning to his team-mates ahead of their titanic Champions League battle with Paris Saint-Germain, declaring “there’s no time for errors”. As Liverpool look to carry their league phase form into the knockouts after topping the table, they come head-to-head with a PSG team glowing from an unbeaten streak in Ligue 1 and sitting comfortably atop with a 13-point lead.
The Reds must contend with a team exuding confidence and form. Luis Enrique’s squad arrives off the back of 10 consecutive wins, carrying a formidable 22-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Van Dijk reflected: “I expect it to be a very good game over there against a very good team, a team in form. They played very well in the last Champions League game against Brest and, yeah, it will be difficult.
“But these are the games you want to compete in and I’m really looking forward to it. Obviously you’re coming to the knock-out stages and there’s no time for errors, no time for bad games.
“There are two games to get through, but we want to be so good in both games that we deserve to go through. But you have to earn it, you have to fight for it, you have to do everything in your power to win the game and that’s what we’re going to try and do.
“We’re definitely aware of how difficult it will be in Paris and then obviously back here. But these are the nights that you want to perform in and you want to show that to the whole world.”
Van Dijk also defended his team-mate Darwin Nunez, who has been criticised for his work rate by coach Arne Slot.
“I think that’s the bare minimum that’s been asked from us from day one, but I think that’s the bare minimum anyway for playing for Liverpool,” said Van Dijk. “That was obviously down to him, and it’s still down to him, and I think he showed a great reaction in his work rate.
“That should be the minimum, and he knows it, so you have to keep going. Everyone has a big role to play, that’s the thing. We’re all in this together, we need everyone and he’s a big part of our team as well.
“When he comes on, he has to make a positive impact. He, and the rest of the boys who came on against Newcastle, made a big impact. That’s what we need so we just have to keep that going.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk