Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid – Predicted lineup and team news

Liverpool are set to host Atletico Madrid in their opening Champions League match at Anfield on Wednesday. This will mark manager Andoni Iraola's first European fixture in charge of Liverpool, coming after a recent win over Ipswich. The Reds have historically performed well against Spanish opposition in the League Phase, having claimed six victories against such teams in their previous six meetings. However, Atletico have managed to secure points at Anfield twice in their last five visits to Liverpool.

Several Liverpool players will miss the clash due to injuries or ongoing recovery. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are absent from the Champions League squad, while Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez are also sidelined with various issues. Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet are the probable centre-back pairing, while Alisson Becker is set to start in goal.

Ronald Araujo is tipped to play right-back, replacing Jeremie Frimpong who has been in good form recently. Milan Kerkez is expected to line up at left-back, with Bradley Barcola potentially making his debut on the wing after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m. Dominic Szoboszlai is likely to operate in a deeper midfield role, with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister competing for the final place alongside him.