Liverpool begin their Champions League journey for the 2026/27 season with a home match against Atletico Madrid at Anfield.
Fans will experience a sense of deja vu, as these two European giants also opened their European campaign on Merseyside last season. Back then, the hosts struck twice within the first six minutes, lost their lead, but a last-minute goal from Virgil van Dijk secured the win for the Reds.
This time, Liverpool will be led by debutant manager Andoni Iraola, who is set to make his Champions League bow. Following a solid 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town last Friday, the Spanish tactician is feeling confident. However, during his tenure at Rayo Vallecano, Iraola has yet to beat Atletico in four attempts.
Atletico are not in the best frame of mind. The transfer saga surrounding Julian Alvarez has soured the atmosphere in Diego Simeone's camp, and a recent thrashing by Athletic Bilbao (0-3) has only exacerbated their woes. Nevertheless, the mattress makers remain a formidable force in European competition, having reached the semi-finals in the previous edition of the tournament.
Match form analysis and prediction
The start of the Iraola era has been eventful: Liverpool's attacking flair has been overshadowed by defensive errors. Star signing Bradley Barcola could make his debut, teaming up with Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Florian Wirtz in attack from the get-go.
Atletico have proven they can handle the immense pressure at Anfield and possess the attacking resources to break down Liverpool’s defence. However, the class and depth of the Merseyside squad should be decisive in critical moments.
- Anfield tradition: Liverpool have never lost an opening home match in the Champions League — boasting 10 wins and 2 draws from 12 matches, with the last three finishing 3-2.
- Scoring form: The Reds have scored at least twice in all three of their Premier League matches this season, while Atletico have netted two or more in three of their four La Liga outings.
- Head-to-head history: The sides have met five times since 2020; after two initial losses, Liverpool have won the last three encounters against the Spaniards.
Match prediction: Liverpool to win 3-2.
Expected starting line-ups
Iraola has confirmed Barcola is fit for more minutes, hinting at a start for the Frenchman. This may see Gakpo shift to the right side of attack. Alexander Isak will aim to extend his scoring streak to three matches, while Ronald Araujo, on loan from Barcelona, will keep his place at right-back.
Due to their exclusion from the squad, Liverpool will miss Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa, as injuries have sidelined Joe Gomez, Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leon.
For Atletico, Julian Alvarez returns to the squad, a significant boost amid Alexander Sorloth's injury woes. Arnau Ortiz serves a suspension, while Jonathan David, on loan from Juventus, could debut from the bench. Christian Romero is expected to come in at centre-back, replacing David Ganczko.
Probable Liverpool line-up (4-2-3-1): Alisson — Ronald Araujo, Jeremy Jacque, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkes — Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister — Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola — Alexander Isak.
Probable Atletico line-up (4-4-2): Jan Oblak — Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubil, Christian Romero, Alejandro Grimaldo — Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Morten Jullmand, Ademola Lookman — Julian Alvarez, Alex Baena.
Match details and online broadcast
Date and time: Wednesday, 9 September, 22:00 Moscow time (20:00 BST).
Venue: Liverpool, Anfield.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy), VAR referee — Marco Di Bello (Italy).
Where to watch the match:
Russia and CIS: Live broadcasts on themed VK pages and Okko.
United Kingdom: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max.
USA: Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, ViX.
Canada: DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada.
Mexico: Fox One, Fox+.
