There is nothing quite like European nights at Anfield, and welcoming Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night guarantees pure theatre.
We all remember the sting of 2020, when the visitors scored three times in extra-time to knock the Reds out of the Champions League.
Yet the balance has swung back our way. The group-stage double in 2021 proved we could outfight them, and the five-goal thriller at Anfield last season remains fresh in the memory.
Virgil van Dijk powered home a stoppage-time header to seal a chaotic 3-2 win after Llorente had threatened to spoil the party yet again. With four wins apiece across 10 historical meetings, the rivalry sits on a knife edge, but under the floodlights at Anfield, we know what the 12th man can do.
Confidence is bubbling nicely after Friday night’s professional 2-0 Premier League win at Ipswich Town. Alexander Isak looked razor-sharp with two clinical early strikes, proving he is ready to lead the line on the grandest stage.
Early team news suggests an almost full-strength starting XI.
Alexis Mac Allister shook off a slight knock picked up at Portman Road and is expected to anchor the midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz.
Cody Gakpo‘s direct running will be vital against Atleti’s low block, while it will be interesting to see whether Andoni Iraola opts for Ronald Araujo over Jeremie Frimpong at right-back. At the back, Van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet should form a formidable central barrier to blunt Spanish counter-attacks.
For Atletico, Jan Oblak remains world-class between the posts, while Antoine Griezmann still oozes style going forward. Conor Gallagher provides nuisance value and relentless pressing in the middle, but their back line can be unsettled if we bring sustained intensity and pace from the opening whistle.
Simeone will inevitably try to slow the rhythm down, congest the midfield and test our patience.
However, if we move the ball sharply between the lines and keep our discipline, we have the firepower required to start this Champions League with a win.
