Peter Crouch asserts that Liverpool has the ability to overpower any team in the UEFA Champions League, while Joe Cole raises concerns about PSG.

Peter Crouch has boldly claimed that “Liverpool can demolish anyone” in the UEFA Champions League. This statement came during a lively debate among a panel of TNT Sports experts, who discussed the pressing questions ahead of the knockout stage of the tournament.

The Premier League leaders have established a commanding 13-point lead over second-placed Arsenal in the English top-flight. This impressive performance marks a strong debut season under manager Arne Slot. With their domestic success firmly in hand, the focus now shifts back to European competition.

Liverpool navigated the league phase of the Champions League with ease, finishing at the top of their group to secure an automatic place in the last 16. However, they now face a daunting challenge against Paris Saint-Germain, with the first leg set to be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ this Wednesday.

PSG enters this tie on the back of a resounding 10-0 aggregate victory over Brest in the play-offs. They are buoyed by the scintillating form of Ousmane Dembele, who has found the net 20 times in his last 15 appearances. This sets the stage for a thrilling encounter between two of Europe’s elite teams.

Despite acknowledging the “incredibly difficult” task that lies ahead for Liverpool, Crouch remains confident in their abilities, declaring them “the best team” in the competition. “I think it’s incredibly difficult to do both, and it looks like they’re going to win the Premier League,” Crouch stated on the show Agree or Disagree. “Of course they can, they’re the best team in it in my opinion. But it doesn’t always happen that way, does it?”

He continued, “I just don’t think the teams around them in the Premier League are going to put them to the test enough. Liverpool demolished Real Madrid already, and I feel like they can demolish anyone in front of them on their day. I think they win it.”

However, Crouch’s assertions were met with skepticism from his fellow pundits, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Ally McCoist. They suggested that Real Madrid remains the frontrunners for European glory this season. “I think Liverpool have been excellent this season,” McCoist remarked. “But I just think their route to the final at this stage is going to be difficult anyway. Real Madrid are one of those teams that know how to do it. Of course Liverpool could win it, but I just think Real Madrid will win it.”

Both Ferdinand and Cole echoed McCoist’s sentiments, expressing concerns that the quality of opposition could prove too much for Slot’s side. “I really fancy PSG to go far in the competition,” Cole said. “I think they’ll beat Liverpool. Liverpool are, with Real Madrid, the best team in it, but the way PSG have been playing.. have you seen Dembele and Bradley Barcola? Something’s changed at PSG, and there’s belief there now. I just think Liverpool got the rough end of the draw.”

Ferdinand added, “I just feel that knockout Real Madrid are different from the league stage Real Madrid. They’ve just got more match-winners than Liverpool. They’ve got more players who can win a match on their own.”

As the anticipation builds for this high-stakes clash, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool can indeed live up to Crouch’s lofty expectations or if PSG will prove to be too formidable an opponent.