I played for Liverpool in Merseyside derby and I'm worried despite PSG positives

After a penalty shoot-out defeat last season, Arne Slot has watched his side bow out of Europe at the hands of PSG once again. Liverpool were bright as they aimed to overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg at Anfield, but were undone by a late double from Ousmane Dembele after failing to take their chances.

Bitter rivals Everton stand next in line, and Slot's men could see their advantage over their neighbours shrink to just two points in the battle for Champions League qualification. There's no time for the reigning Premier League champions to lick their wounds from their European defeat and they'll need to win away without the injured Hugo Ekitike.

"I just thought there were some really good signs in that game and the fans were noisy," Matteo told Mirror Football via BetSelect.co.uk. "But I also think that even [Mohamed] Salah looked sharper, I think everyone seemed to be more at it. Even [Ibrahima] Konate, who hasn't been brilliant this year defensively.

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He continued: "Sometimes when you're playing a team like that, like Paris, if you don't take your chances eventually, they will get a few, and they did. And then they punished us.

"So I think there's that kind of level, but I did see a better performance, a more grounded performance and you could even see in the manager's face, that obviously they've lost and they're gutted and they're out of the Champions League in the quarters, but there were signs that there was a little bit of improvement in that last game.

"The only thing we haven't been is consistent. We've won games when we haven't played brilliantly, which you have to do as a footballer and as a team. But I just think all season, we haven't been consistent, and anyone knows if you're a club like a Liverpool, if you're not consistent, eventually you do get found out."

Matteo doesn't anticipate Liverpool having much difficulty psyching themselves up for a derby in general terms. Nevertheless, he acknowledges it's far simpler to find motivation for a high-profile European fixture under the floodlights than for some of the routine weekend matches in the league.

"I can say that as an ex-player, it was much easier to get up for big European games than it was for a game on a normal Saturday at 3 O'clock," he added. "It shouldn't be [but] I really have a feeling about that."

"The atmosphere always helps that because, you know, even at Anfield on a normal game on a Saturday at 3 O'clock, you're not going to get the same atmosphere as you're going to get on a Tuesday or Wednesday night at Anfield under the lights. That's just the way football is."

He anticipates considerably more scrutiny falling on Slot than on his counterpart David Moyes, given how far apart the two clubs were last season and how small the gap is this term. However, Liverpool can still salvage something from their campaign by securing the top-five finish required for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool claimed a 2-1 victory when the sides faced off at Anfield in September, with the result leaving them top of the table with maximum points from their opening five matches. They haven't strung together more than three consecutive league wins since, though, and face a stern test against an Everton side who have the chance to win a third straight game at their new home for the very first time.

Matteo's main concern lies with the individual duels he expects to play a big part. "It's all about winning your personal battles all over the pitch, and I don't think we've done enough of that," he said.

"I think Everton have won a lot of personal battles and are maybe a little bit more determined to defend. With [James] Tarkowski, people like that, they've got a few leaders in there.

"They've got a few voices. I know Virgil [van Dijk] is a big leader for us, but I want the other lads to lead by example as well. In a derby game, you need that.

"Going from my own experience, you've always had four or five lads who are always very vocal going into a derby game. I think looking at Everton, they might be a little bit more vocal, and we've got to make sure we are [too] and give the Liverpool fans what they want. Because the season's kind of well, it's gone, really, hasn't it? It's just about trying to get into Europe now."