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Following a mediocre start to his tenure, it seems as if Andoni Iraola is now getting a tune out of his players. The Basque tactician led Liverpool to a comfortable triumph over Ipswich Town last Friday evening, after recording 2-2 draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest across his first two games in charge.
Alexander Isak made it three goals in the space of six days with a quick-fire brace at Portman Road, as he looks to quickly move on from an injury-ravaged 12 months. The Reds have been eliminated by back-to-back winners Paris Saint-Germain in each of the last two Champions League campaigns; if they are to realistically challenge for silverware this time around, the Swedish striker will need to continue finding the net.
Despite an encouraging early run of results, Atletico Madrid head to Merseyside with a point to prove. Diego Simeone’s men suffered a sobering 3-0 loss in Bilbao on Saturday afternoon, after claiming seven points from their previous three league outings.
Moreover, Atleti will be out to avenge their gut-wrenching defeat at Anfield in last season’s Champions League opener, which saw Virgil van Dijk’s late header secure all three points for the hosts.
TNT Sports are providing exclusive live coverage of Wednesday’s keenly anticipated contest, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 (BST).
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid: key info
Date: Wednesday 9th September
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Referee: Davide Massa (Assistant Referees: Filippo Meli and Alessio Berti, Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (Assistant VAR: Daniele Chiffi)
TV Channels/Live stream: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max
Odds: Liverpool: 7/10, Draw: 3/1, Atletico Madrid: 15/4
Odds provided by bet365
Liverpool team news
Although he entered the week without any fresh injury concerns, Iraola is still without the services of several long-term absentees.
Having ruptured his Achilles tendon during Liverpool’s quarter-final defeat to PSG in April, Hugo Ekitike was instantly ruled out of the World Cup. The pacy Frenchman is now about midway through his rehabilitation programme, after undergoing surgery on the issue.
There’s been a positive update regarding the condition of Giovanni Leoni, who cruelly sustained an ACL injury on his Liverpool debut around this time last year. Iraola recently confirmed that the Italian youngster will be back in full training later this month, paving the way for his return to first-team action. Conor Bradley is also out with a serious knee problem but won’t be joining his defensive colleague on the training pitch anytime soon, as the County Tyrone native is recovering from significant bone and ligament damage.
Joe Gomez has almost shaken off the muscle strain that has kept him sidelined over the past few weeks, but Wednesday will come too soon for the experienced full-back. Thanks to an ongoing back problem, Federico Chiesa is also yet to feature this season.
Cody Gakpo has set up all three of Isak’s goals this term, while fellow wide man Victor Munoz, who signed from Osasuna in La Liga over the summer, impressed in each of his first three Liverpool appearances. These two players will operate either side of the in-form Isak, with Florian Wirtz providing additional creativity from the number ten position.
Liverpool predicted line-up v Atletico Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Andoni Iraola
Alisson Becker (GK); Jeremie Frimpong, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister; Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Víctor Muñoz; Alexander Isak
Atletico Madrid team news
After a turbulent summer of speculation and uncertainty, Julian Alvarez will be eager to focus all of his energy on playing football. The diminutive Argentinian attempted to force a move to Barcelona, but Atleti chiefs had no intention of selling their prized asset to a title rival. A potential transfer to Arsenal also never materialised, leaving him to feel the wrath of his own supporters.
Despite missing several training sessions due to a heavily disputed illness, Alvarez featured as a second-half substitute against Athletic Bilbao. However, there’s a question mark over whether he’s ready to be recalled to the starting lineup.
Elsewhere in the striking department, Alexander Sorloth missed last weekend’s trip to the San Mames due to a niggling muscle injury. Although he also won’t be available to face Liverpool, the imposing Norwegian is hoping to be involved in Atleti’s next domestic fixture.
As a consequence of the above, Kang-in Lee and Alex Baena may well continue as a makeshift centre-forward pairing, with Ademola Lookman and Giuliano Simeone supporting from the flanks.
Simeone Sr may decide to hand a debut to on-loan striker Jonathan David, who netted twice for parent club Juventus in last season’s Champions League. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero could make his first continental appearance for the three-time Europa League champions, after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last month. Romero came up against Liverpool on five occasions during his five-year stint in north London, but only once found himself on the winning side.
Atletico Madrid predicted line-up v Liverpool (4-4-2)
Coach: Diego Simeone
Jan Oblak (GK); Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, Dávid Hancko, Alejandro Grimaldo; Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Morten Hjulmand, Ademola Lookman; Kang-in Lee, Álex Baena
Where to watch on TV or live stream
This is the last season in which TNT Sports will televise Champions League action, as Paramount acquire the main broadcasting rights ahead of the 2027/28 campaign. However, TNT Sports customers can continue to tune into all three major European competitions until June.
Wednesday’s contest at Anfield will be screened on TNT Sports 1, while those with the required subscription can enjoy an enhanced viewing experience by switching over to TNT Sports Ultimate. The match will also be shown on HBO Max, the official streaming partner of TNT Sports.
Head-to-head record
Liverpool have beaten Atletico Madrid in each of the last three Champions League meetings between these teams, so will head into this one in confident spirits. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that Los Colchoneros have never lost four consecutive matches to the same opponent in either iteration of Europe’s premier club competition.
Both of Atleti’s Champions League victories over the Merseysiders came during the 2019/20 campaign, when the pair were drawn against one another in the last sixteen. With the aggregate scoreline locked at 1-1 following 180 minutes of football, the tie moved into a dramatic period of extra time. A brace from Marcos Llorente, who would also claim a double in last season’s encounter at Anfield, and a stoppage-time strike from Alvaro Morata ensured the visitors secured safe passage through to the quarter-finals.
However, if history is anything to go by, the hosts should expect a better outcome on this occasion. Liverpool have never lost their opening match in the Champions League or European Cup when playing at home, winning ten and drawing two of these fixtures. Can they extend this remarkable record on Wednesday night?
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid: match result odds
Atletico Madrid: 15/4 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.
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