In theory, The Kop are rated higher with home advantage, impressive form and good force. However, facing Atletico in the Champions League is always easy.
Force situation
Captain Arne Slot said that Alexander Isak was not in the best physical condition and was likely to only enter the field in the second half, while Curtis Jones will definitely be out. The rest of The Kop are in a stable state and Slot can play with the strongest squad.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid will travel to Anfield with some concerns as Julian Alvarez, David Hancko and Robin Le Normand all had to leave the field last weekend due to injury.
Latest form of the two teams
Since the 2021-22 final, Liverpool have not been able to maintain stability in the Champions League. The Merseyside team has continuously stopped at the round of 16 in the last two seasons and has not even participated in this prestigious playground in the 2023-2024 season.
Despite dominating the Premier League last season, Liverpool have only stopped in the 1/8 round of the Champions League. Notably, they have had an excellent performance in the qualifying round with 7 wins after 8 matches, only losing in the final round. However, the draw put Liverpool up to face PSG in the knockout round and they were eliminated on penalties against their opponents and then crowned champions.
Entering the 2025-2026 Premier League season, Liverpool started with 4 wins and led the rankings. Although their performances against Bournemouth and Newcastle have not been really convincing, in the last two matches, The Kop have kept a clean sheet against Arsenal and Burnley. Arne Slot's side are relying on late goals to gain points and will want to take the initiative sooner when they step into Europe.
On the other side of the front line, Atletico Madrid also qualified for the 1/8 round of the Champions League last season but had to stop after a penalty shootout against arch-rivals Real Madrid. This is the second time in the last 3 seasons that Diego Simeone's team has failed to advance to the quarter-finals, after being eliminated from the group stage in the 2022-2023 season.
In La Liga this season, Atletico Madrid started quite a bit struggling, not winning in the first 3 rounds. They lost to Espanyol and were held to a draw by Elche and Alaves. It was not until the end of last week that Atletico found their first win when they defeated Villarreal with a score of 2-0.
Currently, Los Rojiblancos are ranked 11th in the La Liga rankings, which shows that Diego Simeone's team is under a lot of pressure.
The match- deciding hot spot
Atletico are still good at aerial situations, have many high-ranking personnel in the squad and always have good arrangements. Meanwhile, Liverpool need to prove that their defense is solid enough to neutralize dead balls.
In addition, given Simeone's famous applied play, The Kop should also take advantage of opportunities from set pieces.
The mid-line battle
The midfield battle is considered interesting as Liverpool have a quality midfield. The two "sweaters" Dominik Szobszlai and Ryan Gravenberch are always ready to support Florian Wirtz to freely create at the top.
On the other side of the front line, Atletico also have a player who is very knowledgeable about English football in general and Liverpool in particular, Connor Gallagher (formerly playing for Chelsea).
Waiting for a sudden change from the bench
Alexander Isak is not satisfied, so Arne Slot has to consider the time to put him on the field. Hugo Ekitike will start, before Isak becomes a heavyweight weapon in the second half. The time of the substitution and the rotation will determine the outcome of the match.
Meanwhile, Simeone also has quality reserve names and can rotate their playing style based on the situation.
Expected lineup
Liverpool (4-2-3): Alisson Frimpong, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Wirtz Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo.
Atletico (4-4-2): Oblak Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri Simeone, Cardoso, Gallagher, Barrios Sorlorth, Alvarez.
