Liverpool begin their Champions League campaign with Atletico Madrid visiting Anfield in gameweek one of the league phase.
The Reds will have aspirations of reaching Madrid in next year’s final, eight years after their sixth European crown in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Metropolitano. But after swapping in Andoni Iraola, a significant improvement is required after back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain dispatched them 4-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Bradley Barcola made his debut in the 2-0 win at Ipswich last week, following a £125m move from PSG, and Alexander Isak is up and running with a quick-fire double providing the inspiration for the victory.
Diego Simeone’s side lost in last year’s semi-finals to Arsenal in a tense tie, but the Julian Alvarez transfer saga has left a shadow over the beginning of their season after a move to Barcelona or Arsenal failed to materialise.
The two sides faced each other in the same fixture last term, with a 3-2 win for the Reds providing the foundation to advance straight to the last 16 with a top-eight finish. Follow all of the latest from the clash with our live blog below:
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Grimaldo; Koke, Hjulmand; Simeone, Baena, Lookman; David
Early Liverpool team news
Liverpool will definitely be without long-term injury absentees Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, while Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo were left out of the Champions League squad.
Big-money signing Bradley Barcola could be in line for his first start, particularly as Cody Gakpo sat out training on Monday. Joe Gomez is a doubt with a muscle issue but did train.
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid
Back-to-back 2-2 draws – in which they came from behind in both – were followed by a first win under Iraola against Ipswich, with last summer’s £125m signing Alexander Isak finally getting lift-off in a Reds shirt with a quickfire brace.
Now Iraola turns his attention to a first Champions League game as a manager and a meeting with Diego Simeone, who was left lamenting his side’s leaky defence after a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga this past weekend.
Liverpool and Atletico faced off at Anfield in the opening match of last year’s European campaign too, with Virgil van Dijk sealing a 3-2 victory in the 92nd minute and Simeone getting sent off for clashing with fans in the main stand.
How to watch
Liverpool play Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday 9 September, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
Viewers in the UK can watch the game on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Liverpool v Atletico Madrid.
The Reds get their Champions League campaign underway at home – will it be another topsy-turvy encounter like last season’s 3-2 win at the same stage, or can Andoni Iraola’s side build on a morale-boosting win in their most recent Premier League game?
