The Reds have begun their Premier League title defence with a flawless record, while Diego Simeone’s men only found their first league win of the season at the weekend.
Since stepping into Jürgen Klopp’s shoes, Arne Slot has already made his mark on English football history. In Liverpool’s fourth league game, the champions became the first team ever to start a Premier League campaign with four consecutive victories thanks to goals scored in the final 10 minutes.
The latest example came in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Burnley, where Mohamed Salah held his nerve from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time. It remains to be seen how long the Reds can keep relying on late drama, but what matters most is their perfect 12 points from 12.
Attention now shifts to Europe, where Liverpool are aiming to put last season’s painful round-of-16 exit behind them. Paris Saint-Germain eventually went on to lift the trophy, so there was little shame in losing to the eventual champions. Even so, Liverpool want to reassert themselves on the continental stage. Their record at Anfield offers encouragement: 14 straight European home wins, scoring at least twice in 13 of them.
Atletico Madrid arrive with a reputation built on defensive discipline. Under Simeone, they have kept clean sheets in 42 percent of their Champions League games, the best ratio for any Spanish club under a single manager with 50 or more matches.
That solidity was missing in their slow start to the new La Liga season, which saw defeats and draws pile up before the international break. A 2-0 victory over Villarreal at the weekend, courtesy of goals from Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez, came as a much-needed boost.
This is Atletico’s 13th consecutive Champions League campaign, and they bring some useful numbers with them. They have found the net in 15 of their last 16 group-stage matches, while losing only two of their last 15 opening fixtures in the competition.
Historically, they also fared well against Liverpool in the early years of this rivalry, but the balance of power has shifted. The Reds won both group meetings in 2021-22 and now boast four straight victories over Spanish opposition in the Champions League.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool supporters hoping to see Alexander Isak make his debut against Burnley were left waiting, as Arne Slot decided not to use the £125 million striker. The Dutchman has since all but confirmed that Isak will be part of the squad on Wednesday.A starting role is highly unlikely for the Swede, and the same might apply to Alexis Mac Allister. The midfielder was withdrawn at half time against Burnley for precautionary reasons after a heavy challenge from Lesley Ugochukwu.
Curtis Jones is also sidelined, which could see Dominik Szoboszlai move back into midfield after his stint at right-back. That switch would free up Jeremie Frimpong to reclaim his place in the starting lineup. Federico Chiesa, on the other hand, has been omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
Atletico endured their own injury concerns during the win over Villarreal. Four players, Julián Álvarez, Nico González, Robin Le Normand and David Hancko were forced off. Hancko’s ankle problem appears the most serious, while the other three may have only been dealing with fatigue or minor discomfort, but their availability for Anfield is uncertain.
In addition, José Giménez, Álex Baena and Thiago Almada are ruled out. If González cannot feature, Conor Gallagher is expected to start on the left in Simeone’s usual 4-4-2 setup.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Gallagher; Griezmann, Sorloth
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Liverpool’s early-season defensive lapses against Bournemouth and Newcastle appear to be behind them, though that improvement has come with a dip in attacking fluency.
Atletico, burdened by injuries, may not be in the right shape to exploit Liverpool’s current difficulties in open play. If this contest is decided by a single goal, the edge is likely to belong to the English champions.
