Liverpool vs. Paris Saint-Germain “like a Champions League Final”

Champions League football returns with the first group games of the 2018-19 campaign, and Liverpool welcoming Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield is the headliner. Of the day, of the opening round, and maybe of the entire group stage.

As far as opening matches go, it’s hard to beat kicking things off with two of the favourites to win the entire competition in a game that wouldn’t look out of place as the final. That has a lot of people excited—and rightly so—including Gerard Houllier.

“It could be like a Champions League final really!” Houllier, who in his years as a manager was in charge at both Liverpool and PSG, told Goal.com this week. “What is fascinating will be the amount of attacking quality on show, from both teams.

“PSG have Di Maria, Cavani, and Mbappe—not to mention Neymar—while Liverpool have Salah, Firmino, and Mane. It’s an incredible group of players and there is so much pace on display. Both teams have the talent to make it a wonderful game of football.”

Houllier’s first big job as a manager came with the French side in 1985, when after three seasons with Lens that saw them earn promotion to France’s top flight and qualify for the UEFA cup he was given a chance to take over at PSG.

The following season, he guided them to the league title and in total he spent three years in Paris before taking on a series of jobs for the French national team. When he eventually moved back into club football in 1998 it was with Liverpool.

Despite managing both clubs, though, Houllier doesn’t seem especially conflicted when it comes to who he’ll be rooting for in today’s headlining match—of the day, of the round, and maybe of the entire group stage of the 2018-19 Champions League.

“My heart is Liverpudlian, always,” he noted when asked. “Does that answer your question?!”