As Manchester City and Real Madrid duked it out in a compelling Champions League play-off encounter, Liverpool put its feet up. It has managed to skip this round entirely, and Jamie Carragher has made a prediction as a potential path to the final begins to emerge.
Liverpool ended any silly quadruple talk when it exited the FA Cup at the hands of Plymouth, with Arne Slot prioritizing other competitions by fielding a second-string side. However, the treble conversation is far more reasonable, with the Reds in one final, leading the way in the Premier League, and entering the Champions League knockouts as the winners of the league phase.
UEFA has held off on the Round of 16 draw until after the play-offs are completed, so Liverpool doesn't know exactly who it will face just yet. But the seeding system means it can only be one of four sides: Benfica, Monaco, Brest and PSG.
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher agrees with Duncan Ferguson on Everton vs Liverpool prediction
READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news as Mo Salah has three-year deal 'on table' and Reds alerted to $69M clause
Clearly, one of these things is not like the others. And PSG took a huge step toward the next round by winning 3-0 away at Brest last night, all but ensuring progression.
As such, Liverpool and Barcelona look as though they will each go into the draw with a 50 per cent chance of drawing the French giant. Some reward for finishing first and second respcetively.
Meanwhile, while Liverpool continues its league push this evening against Everton, Benfica and Monaco will be contesting the other relevant Champions League fixture. After tonight, the route forward in the competition could become even clearer.
Perhaps with the threat of PSG in mind, Carragher has made a prediction about Liverpool's trophy chances. He believes Slot will claim the Premier League and Carabao Cup, but fall short in Europe.
"No," he answered, when asked on CBS whether he thought Liverpool would claim a treble. "I just think the Champions League... I think the league is the most important for Liverpool this season.
"So I think once we start getting into March, April, I think the focus, if Liverpool are playing midweek Wednesday night, big Champions League game, on a Saturday I think for most people the league [will be the priority]. I think Liverpool will win the league and the Carabao Cup."
Liverpool does have a deep squad compared to its rivals, and has done well to avoid the injuries suffered by rivals — Kai Havertz has become the latest casualty at Arsenal, and will miss the remainder of the season. But the Reds proved in the FA Cup that wholesale rotation is not an option.
Slot, of course, will endeavor not to name a weakened side in either the Premier League or the Champions League. But there is a risk that the fixtures could catch up to Liverpool at some point.
And if it is to be PSG in the next round, which commences in early March, then Liverpool will be facing a team that is coming into form in Europe at the right time. Stuttering through the group stages, it now looks a dangerous proposition, especially with Ligue 1 already more or less wrapped up.
Having said that, Slot is presiding over the best team in Europe right now. Liverpool will fancy itself against any opponent, PSG included — and while Carragher is right to acknowledge the huge difficulty in completing the treble, the Reds will still be eagerly mapping out a potential route to a seventh European Cup.
