April 13 (Reuters) - Liverpool have endured a torrid domestic season, but the reigning Premier League champions believe they can overturn a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg deficit against Paris St Germain at Anfield, manager Arne Slot said on Monday.
Liverpool have already crashed out of the League Cup and FA Cup and are fifth in the English top flight, leaving the Champions League as their last realistic shot at silverware this campaign.
PSG were left ruing missed chances that kept Liverpool in contention despite a convincing 2-0 home win in Wednesday's first leg.
When asked how he had convinced his players a comeback was still possible, Slot struck an optimistic but realistic tone.
"First of all, remind them what the score was - that it was 2-0. It felt completely different, as we all know, but the end result was 2-0," Slot told reporters. "Second of all, we have shown so many times in big games this season that we are able to produce a great performance.
"We have also shown a completely different face - I am completely aware of that - but many of our games have been very good as well, especially in big matches...
"So yes, there is belief we can do something special tomorrow, but we need to be very, very, very special to achieve that. We are playing the champions of Europe, which makes the task more difficult - but not impossible."
Liverpool adopted a cautious approach at Parc des Princes, deploying three centre backs in a five-man defence.
"People probably find it very hard to hear what I am about to say, but the approach tomorrow is not so different from what it was in Paris," the Dutchman said. "For the people who know me, I never tell them to play in a low block for 90 minutes...
"Again, the approach tomorrow will be to take risks. To get the ball off them, you need to press them - and we saw how difficult that is."
Anfield has long been a stage for European drama. In the 2019 semi-final, Liverpool famously overturned a 3-0 first-leg defeat against Barcelona with a stunning 4-0 victory at home. The atmosphere, Slot said, could again prove decisive.
"Just as important as our performance is the influence of the Anfield crowd," he said. "We have to be much better than last week. Their players have experienced Anfield and think they know what is coming...
"I think our fans are up for making it even louder, and that's also needed. I trust them to be even louder than last season."
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
