Tim Sherwood has expressed confidence that Liverpool will qualify for next season’s Champions League despite their elimination from this year’s competition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder and manager offered his assessment following Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield, which completed a 4-0 aggregate loss to the French side.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Sherwood acknowledged the disappointment of the result while highlighting positive aspects of the team’s performance.
“Liverpool were the better team tonight. I still think it was a penalty [for Liverpool]. There was contact into the back of the leg. He is entitled to go down with that contact,” Sherwood stated, referring to a VAR-overturned penalty decision involving Alexis Mac Allister and Willian Pacho.
Despite the deflating outcome, Sherwood pointed to a 20-minute spell in the second half where Arne Slot’s side dominated proceedings as evidence of their potential.
“If they play like that, they will 100% qualify for the Champions League. This tie was lost in the first leg,” he added, emphasizing that the deficit from the initial match in Paris proved too much to overcome.
Stephen Warnock, also commenting on the match, noted that PSG appeared to be operating on a “different level” to Liverpool over the course of the two-leg tie.
The result means Liverpool will need to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League to earn qualification for next season’s Champions League competition.
Sherwood’s backing comes as Liverpool seem to bounce back from their European exit and focus on domestic ambitions for the remainder of the campaign.
The club’s next priority will be maintaining their position in the Premier League table as they aim to guarantee Champions League football through league performance rather than European success.
As the season progresses, Liverpool’s ability to consistently replicate the level of performance Sherwood praised in the second leg against PSG will be crucial to achieving their objective.
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