42 min: … van Dijk powers a header clear. Nil-nil at half-time will be quite the achievement if Liverpool can hold on for the next few minutes.

41 min: Diaz nearly gets on the end of a long Alexander-Arnold rake, then up the other end bowls Hakimi over just to the right of the D. Dembele takes the free kick, which pings off a red shirt and out for a corner on the right. From which …

39 min: Donnarumma claims the resulting free kick, wafted aimlessly into the box, then falls into a hot funk as the presence of Mac Allister stops him bowling out quickly. PSG getting a little bit agitated, no doubt wondering how the hell they’re not at least a couple of goals ahead.

38 min: Marquinhos is booked for a fairly cynical check on Jota, who was in the process of cutting infield from the left touchline. Following the generous interpretation of Konate’s earlier challenge, the PSG captain isn’t happy to become the first player carded, but in truth it’s a no-brainer for the referee. A clear yellow.

37 min: Kvaratskhelia is everywhere. He’s sensational. Now he swans into the Liverpool box from the left, taking a shot that gets deflected. Alisson does well to get down and save. Nothing comes from the resulting corner.

36 min: That’s a little better from Liverpool. A couple of counters in short order. Small acorns, and all that, because they’ve been totally outplayed.

34 min: A chance for Liverpool to do something on the counter, Jota getting the better of Pacho and breaking into space down the inside-right channel. But Marquinhos is again on point, making sure Jota can’t find Diaz, in acres on the left. Salah arrives to help, but he’s too late, and the hosts clear.

32 min: Liverpool go up the other end and win a corner. After all that, they couldn’t, could they? Nope. Salah and Jota buzz about, but to little effect, and Donnarumma eventually claims.

31 min: … then the hosts come back again. Dembele is sprung clear down the left. He enters the box and Alisson blocks. Barcola sends the rebound goalwards. Szoboszlai blocks. Barcola has another go and blasts over the bar. How on earth are PSG not ahead?!

30 min: Kvaratskhelia sashays into the box from the right, all shimmies and defence-bothering shakes. He sends Robertson off to Carrefour, then scoops a chip in to … nobody in particular. Liverpool clear, but …

29 min: It’s all PSG. Barcola tees up Kvaratskhelia, who lashes low and hard towards the bottom left. Alisson behind it all the way. Liverpool, all 11 men of them, still hanging on.

27 min: Liverpool get away with another big one. The VAR declines to overturn the referee’s on-field decision. Konate plays on. He’s extremely fortunate, because that looked like a last-man foul. On the touchline, Arne Slot has the good grace to look concerned. His team are being given a bit of a runaround.

26 min: It’s not going to be a penalty, because the challenge was outside the box. But Konate certainly shouldered into Barcola’s back. Konate in serious bother here.

25 min: Barcola races after a long bouncing bomb down the middle. He enters the box and goes over when Konate barges him in the agricultural style from behind. The referee says no foul, and no penalty, but there’s going to be a check for a red card. Konate could be in trouble here.

24 min: Kvaratskhelia goes over in the Liverpool box, a little too easily. Liverpool may have decided that the best form of defence is attack, as they counter fast. Jota has the chance to release Salah into acres down the right, but takes the wrong turn and the opportunity is gone.

22 min: The lead wouldn’t have flattered PSG at all. They look like scoring every time they pour forward. Liverpool struggling to get a touch at the moment.

VAR: NO GOAL. PSG 0-0 Liverpool

GOAL! PSG 1-0 Liverpool (Kvaratskhelia 20)

19 min: Szoboszlai tries to release Salah with a long pass, but Pacho comes across to deal with the problem. PSG counter through Dembele, who spins and nutmegs his way down the middle of the park with sheer elegance, before shooting from the edge of the D. The ball’s deflected off Van Dijk and wide left for a corner. From which …

18 min: Dembele wins PSG’s first corner of the evening down the right. Liverpool half-clear the set piece, then Vitinha fizzes a low drive wide left from distance. Alisson had it covered. PSG well on top now.

16 min: Dembele skips past two challenges down the right, leaving Robertson and Mac Allister in the dust. Elegant and powerful. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Vitinha, who simply must score, unmarked as he is on the penalty spot. But he shins his shot into the ground and over the bar. What a miss!

15 min: PSG have enjoyed 57 percent of the possession so far.

14 min: Diaz, out on the left, plays a dreadful ball infield to give Paris a three-on-two break. Barcola advances and finds Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool swarm. Kvaratskhelia can’t get a proper shot away. Diaz a lucky chap. Liverpool sloppy again.

12 min: PSG are beginning to dominate possession. Liverpool are happy enough to sit back and wait to see what the hosts can do. At the moment, they stay patient and do next to nothing.

10 min: Alisson and Van Dijk take their sweet time over a restart. Whistles and jeers. Good old-fashioned European football.

8 min: Konate and Szoboszlai confuse each other, 30 yards from goal, and gift Barcola the chance to run towards the box. Liverpool swarm and eventually Ruiz screws a speculative shot wide right. The visitors get away with one. They can’t afford to be as slack again.

7 min: Dembele flies down the left and cuts infield, but his attempted cross is blocked by … referee Davide Massa, who is extremely apologetic. To be fair, Dembele’s cross wasn’t heading in the direction of a team-mate, but still, that’s nice.

5 min: Another long Liverpool pass. Marquinhos looks in control but is bothered by Diaz enough to cause the PSG defender a little panic. Marquinhos is forced to slice out for a throw, deep in PSG territory. Nothing comes of the good position for Liverpool, but they’ll be happy with their busy start.

4 min: Robertson goes long down the left for Diaz, who reaches the byline before cutting back for Jota. Marquinhos comes across to deny Jota a shooting opportunity. Great play all round.

3 min: Jota nearly releases Diaz into the PSG box down the left, but the pass doesn’t quite stick. Both teams already look up for this.

2 min: Ruiz hassles Gravenberch down the PSG left but the Liverpool midfielder holds firm and buys a cheap free kick. PSG soon try again, this time down the right, Hakimi nearly getting the better of Diaz, but again the Liverpool player sticks to his guns and Hakimi runs the ball out for a goal kick.

1 min: An instant blast of jeering as Liverpool start with some midfield possession.

Club captains Fabián Ruiz and Virgil van Dijk exchange pennants. Hands are clasped, coins are tossed, huddles are formed. Then everyone splits and Liverpool get the ball rolling. Both sets of fans giving it plenty.

After a spectacular bells-and-whistles light show, the teams emerge from the tunnel. A fantastic atmosphere bubbling up in the Parc des Princes. The Hot Club de France de nos jours. PSG in blue with red vertical stripe, Liverpool in red with shades of 1983. The stadium crackling with excitement, the players looking real nice. We’ll be off after Uefa play their remix of Zadok the Priest; your time will be better spent listening to Django and Stéphane.

This is a big Champions League night, but never forget, other international club competitions are available. Exclusively live on BBC ITV Channel 4 Channel 5 Sky Sports TNT Sports Amazon Prime DAZN this summer!

PSG coach Luis Enrique has also been bigging up the opposition. “Liverpool has one of the best counterattacks in Europe so we will try to keep the ball and be careful not to suffer too much from transitions … they have three fighter jets in attack and it’s not easy to stop these fighter jets … Arne Slot has done a great job … he has created a near‑perfect team.” Andy Hunter, pounding the beautiful boulevards of Paris so you don’t have to, reports.

Arne Slot talks to TNT Sports. “It’s a nice part of the schedule for the people at home watching football … PSG’s fans will be behind the team … it’s all about the quality PSG have … it’s going to be the toughest game in Europe we’ve played so far … in every aspect of the game they do things really well … their main threat is their three attackers … they don’t only have quality but are lightning fast … they can change direction so quickly … like the wingers at Manchester City … Mohamed Salah has added even more experience … he is calm and not frustrated if he misses a chance … he always knows how to hit the ball … instilling your will on PSG is almost impossible … they go all over you … they take risks and get a lot from that … we have to understand when to play … it’s not a game we will dominate in ball possession, I will be surprised if that happens tonight.”

There’s no Cody Gakpo for Liverpool. He’s picked up an injury in training. The only change to the team that started last week’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United is at left-back, where Andrew Robertson returns at the expense of Kostas Tsimikas, who drops to the bench.

The hosts PSG make three changes to the starting XI after last Saturday’s 4-1 Ligue 1 thumping of Lille. Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Willian Pacho return, with Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué and Lucas Beraldo dropping to the bench.

The teams

Preamble