And there is a player better than Mohamed Salah!

Believe it or not, Liverpool is facing a greater weapon than any they have in their own ranks—even greater than Mohamed Salah himself, as strange as that may sound. If they want to get past PSG in the Champions League Round of 16, they’ll have to stop that weapon.

Ousmane Dembele scored his 18th goal since the start of January on Sunday night in PSG’s 4-1 victory over Lille. Before him, only Lionel Messi had recorded such stats in Europe’s top five leagues in the 21st century, netting 17 goals for Barcelona in 2016. Before that, Cristiano Ronaldo held the record with 16 goals for Real Madrid in 2013.

The French international is in incredible form, with 26 goals across all competitions, including an astonishing 21 since December 15. Salah, on the other hand, has netted 30 goals, 14 of which have come since mid-December. Both attackers have been crucial to their teams’ success in domestic and European competitions, and their head-to-head battle could significantly influence the outcome of this year’s Ballon d'Or race, which remains wide open. If we consider the fact that Mohamed Salah is also penalty taker in his team and he scored 10 of them this season, on the other side Dembele took only three penalties for his team. This is also a thing we should consider talking about these two players.

Dembele is enjoying the best season of his career after PSG placed their trust in him following Kylian Mbappe’s departure. While his first season in Paris saw him stand out mostly for his assists, Luis Enrique’s tactical adjustment has now positioned him as a false nine. In this new role, he has surpassed Mbappe’s numbers and established himself as the team’s star.

In France, many see this transformation as a major leap forward for the 27-year-old forward, who showed immense promise a decade ago at Rennes. A commonly repeated phrase comes from his former Rennes coach, Julien Stephan, who said last year: "He is an exceptional player. If he were a better finisher, he would have won the Ballon d'Or by now."

This sentiment is echoed within PSG’s coaching staff, including Luis Enrique, who has frequently stated that Dembele is a devastating force in attack.

He is a perfect for PSG, as Mbappe was

Ahead of his clash with Salah and Liverpool, Dembele stated:

"I know it's going to be a tough Champions League match. We know Liverpool finished first, and they’re also leading the league," he told DAZN. "It’s going to be a great game. We’re confident, they are too, and it’s going to be an exciting spectacle."

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16

First leg

Tuesday

Club Brugge - Aston Villa 1-3 (1-1)

/De Cuyper 12 - Bailey 3, Mechele 82 (og), Asensio 88 pen/

Dortmund - Lille 1-1 (1-0)

/Adeyemi 22 - Haraldsson 68/

PSV - Arsenal 1-7 (1-3)

/Lang 43 - Timber 18, Nwaneri 21, Merino 31, Odegaard 47, 73 Trossard 48, Calafiori/

Real Madrid - Atl. Madrid 2-1 (1-1)

/Rodrygo 4, Diaz 55 - Alvarez 32/

Wednesday

20.45: (5.60) Feyenoord (3.70) Inter (1.65)

23.00: (1.82) Bayern (3.60) Leverkusen (4.40)

23.00: (3.80) Benfica (3.60) Barcelona (1.95)

23.00: (2.45) PSG (3.45) Liverpool (2.80)

***odds are subject to change***