Virgil van Dijk has warned Liverpool “there’s no time for errors” when they face Paris St Germain in the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday.
Van Dijk knows the comfort blanket of the group stage has gone and instead one mistake could cost Liverpool their dream of conquering Europe. He is well aware of the massive threat posed by PSG in the Parc des Princes and the French champions are unbeaten domestically and 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Luis Enrique’s side have won their last 10 games and are unbeaten in their last 22 matches in all competitions. Van Dijk noted their 7-0 thumping of Brest in their last Champions League group game and the Reds skipper said: “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 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 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 Darwin Nunez after head coach Arne Slot criticised his work rate. Nunez has just six goals and three assists from his 34 appearances this season and Van Dijk claimed he put in a shift in Liverpool’s last game against Newcastle.
“That’s the bare minimum that’s been asked from us from day one, but that’s the bare minimum anyway for playing for Liverpool,” said the Netherlands centre-half. “That was down to him, and it’s still down to him, and 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.”
