Liverpool suffer early Champions League blow for PSG quarter-final as official statement released

Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 clash with Lens - initially scheduled for April 11 - has been moved in order to give Luis Enrique's men extra preparation time for their Champions League clash with Liverpool.

Early next month, Les Parisiens will take on the Reds in the quarter-finals of Europe's primary competition following their 8-2 aggregate battering of Chelsea in the last 16.

The reigning European champions will welcome Liverpool to the Parc des Princes for the first leg on April 8, six days before travelling to Anfield for the return fixture.

In between both continental contests, PSG were due to take on Lens in a crucial clash at the top of the Ligue 1 table, where only one point separates the reigning champions from Les Sang et Or.

However, PSG sought to postpone their first-vs-second domestic battle in order to prioritise extra rest and recuperation time for the trip to Liverpool, a move that Lens strongly voiced their opposition to.

PSG's request to postpone Lens match before Liverpool clash granted

Les Sang et Or's request has fallen on deaf ears, though, as the Ligue de Football Professionel confirmed in a statement on Thursday that PSG's request had been granted.

"At the request of Paris Saint-Germain and RC Strasbourg in order to prepare in the best conditions for their respective quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League and in the UEFA Conference League, the Board of Directors of the LFP has unanimously decided, apart from the clubs concerned, to postpone the matches RC Lens – Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Brestois – RC Strasbourg, counting for the 29th day of Ligue 1 Mc Donald's, to Wednesday 13 May," the statement read.

"These decisions are in line with the strong strategic direction of the Board of Directors to enable France to retain its fifth place in the UEFA coefficient, which allows it to obtain four places in the UEFA Champions League.

"These two decisions are accompanied by a proposal made to RC Lens to adjust their schedule to bring forward the RC Lens-FC Nantes match (33rd matchday ) to Friday, May 8, in the event that Paris Saint-Germain qualifies for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League."

Enrique's men will therefore have a six-day break without competitive action in between the first and second legs against Liverpool, who in contrast host Fulham on April 11 in the Premier League either side of PSG clashes.

Do Liverpool stand a chance against PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals?

Premier League clubs are not afforded the same luxury as PSG when it comes to postponing domestic games before European nights, and Arne Slot's side are undoubtedly the underdogs against the European champions.

Les Parisiens may not be the same all-conquering force they were in 2024-25, but with Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele up front, PSG strike fear into the hearts of any defence.

Enrique's side only just scraped past Liverpool on penalties in 2024-25, though, and the Reds could very well be boosted by the news that Mohamed Salah is leaving the club at the end of the season.

Uncertainty over the Egypt international's future may have been a contributing factor in Liverpool's recent struggles, but with his decision now out in the open, the Reds' focus can purely be on the football.

Nevertheless, for a team that has lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Galatasaray and Brighton & Hove Albion while drawing at home to Tottenham Hotspur this month, all the signs are pointing towards a quarter-final exit for the Premier League champions.