Programme notesVirgil van Dijk: Let's make another special European night at Anfield together

Liverpool host Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16 tie, holding a 1-0 aggregate advantage after Harvey Elliott’s late winner in France six days ago.

The visit of the Ligue 1 champions is the second fixture of a week head coach Arne Slot described as ‘three finals’, with the Reds having battled from a goal down to beat Southampton 3-1 at home in the Premier League on Saturday.

Three times a finalist and once a winner of the competition, Van Dijk has experienced some unforgettable Champions League evenings at Anfield already – and would love to produce another.

“Liverpool is a club which lives for big European nights and the aim tonight is a simple one; let’s add another to our collection,” the captain writes in his matchday programme notes.

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“I personally have so many amazing Anfield memories when it comes to the Champions League. I remember the wins over Manchester City and Roma in my first few months with the club. I remember Napoli and Barcelona in the season we became European champions, and more recently I remember games against Benfica, Villarreal, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.

“All of those nights had things in common. We were there testing ourselves against the very best teams, knowing that one slip could cost us everything. We had to combine quality with intensity, stay calm in certain moments and step it up in others.

“We had to have the perfect mentality, maintaining belief and confidence at all times while making sure we were humble enough to run and to battle and to fight for 90-plus minutes. And, perhaps most importantly, we needed our supporters to help push us to victory.

“That will definitely be the case again this evening, as we welcome Paris Saint-Germain to our home and look to book our place in the quarter-finals.

“I don’t think I need to say too much about the quality of our opponents. It was there for everybody to see in the first leg over in France, when we had to fight extremely hard from the first minute to the last.

“We needed some big performances on the night, and we needed some big moments to go our way too, but as I said after the game last week, it is only half-time in the tie and there is a lot of football still to be played.

“That’s why we need you guys at your very best tonight. The atmosphere at Parc des Princes last week was really good, but I know what Anfield is capable of on a night like this and I can’t wait to see and hear you all.

“We come into the game on the back of a positive result against Southampton at the weekend, but knowing that there are things we will need to improve on in terms of our performance levels. The second half on Saturday was very good for us, but the first half was a reminder of what can happen if we allow our levels to drop, both individually and collectively.

“That was a point the head coach made after the game, and it is up to us to make sure that we take his words onboard. We need to play with more intensity, with and without the ball, and we need to run and fight for everything, from the very first whistle.

“There is no hiding place on a night like this, and that is something that motivates us. I know every single player in our dressing room wants to be involved in these kinds of games, to experience these kinds of atmospheres. The level of excitement and focus is high, I can assure you.

“So we will go out there and give it everything. And with you guys at your loudest, hopefully we can create another special Anfield night together.”

• Get your matchday programme at Anfield tonight or order online here