Preview: Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid
The Reds look to secure advancement to the knockout rounds at the first time of asking.
Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
| Wednesday, November 3rd |
Champions League | Anfield
8PM BST / 3PM EST
Following a somewhat deflating draw with Brighton at the weekend, Liverpool have the chance to get a new dose of the good chemicals tomorrow night, as they host Atlético Madrid with a chance of securing top spot in the group with two full games to go.
Diego Simeone may waffle on his feelings about handshakes from one week to the next, but the Argentinian is consistent in the application he demands from his team, and Atleti will show up to what could be a crucial fixture in the Champions League campaign with every intention of spoiling the Reds’ big European night.
Since their home loss two weeks ago, the rojiblanco have drawn twice and won once in domestic competition, and now sit fourth in La Liga, three points back of league leaders Real Sociedad, but with a game in hand, the reigning champions will have faith in their ability to get back to the top of the table.
Thomas Lemar and Marcos Llorente will miss out with muscle injuries, while Stefan SAvic and Antoine Griezmann are both suspended for the game.
Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Mané, Jota, Salah
A chance to secure advancement and potentially rotate the squad as fixtures continue to pile up in the coming weeks would be welcome at Anfield, particularly considering the threadbare condition of Liverpool’s midfield at the moment.
Following solid but not flawless performances in recent weeks, Ibrahima Konaté might have established himself as the favoured partner to Virgil van Dijk, and could well start tomorrow, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are locks to play every important minute at fullback.
Despite Naby Keïta and James Milner missing out with hamstring trouble, Jürgen Klopp has received good news on the injury front, as Thiago and Fabinho are both back in team training, and are in contention to feature on Wednesday. Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones are the other two options for the three-man midfield.
Up top, Diogo Jota has started only once in Liverpool’s past five games and could be in line to feature from kickoff, likely in place of either Roberto Firmino or Mohamed Salah, both of whom have started every non-carabao cup game for the Reds in October, with the latter playing the full 90 in 11 of his 13 appearances this season. Sadio Mané scored a the weekend, but having missed out on the fun part of the demolition job at Old Trafford, will still be fiending for playing time and goals.
What the Managers Said
Jürgen Klopp: “It would be big [to qualify] but we usually don’t have to talk about this as we normally have ‘a final’ in the last match-day. Hopefully that won’t happen this year. But what kind of achievement it would be, we talk about it after it’s happened. Atleti go for everything.”
Diego Simeone: “In football, there is no revenge. The game is over. This match will have other consequences; the memory of the win at Anfield in 2020 will remain with Atleti fans.”
The Officials (NED)
Referee: Danny Makkelie
Assistant referees: Hessel Steegstra, Jan de Vries
Fourth official: Dennis Higler
VAR: Pol van Boekel, Jochem Kamphuis
Kickoff is set for 8PM GMT/3PM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV.
In the meantime, and as always, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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