For the second consecutive season, Atlético Madrid will take on Liverpool away from home as their first match of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, renewing all continental hope that was heartbreakingly snatched from Los Rojiblancos at the semi-final stage last time.
The current vibes around the club don’t quite correlate with a deep run in Europe’s premier tournament just yet; this fixture comes off the back of a disappointing showing in Bilbao on Saturday.
An immediate response would not only be welcome, but feels necessary in the context of the early stages of the 2026/27 season.
Diego Simeone travels with an almost-complete squad as he aims to get Atlético underway in their quest to be inside the top eight spots and to qualify automatically for the last 16.
As for Liverpool, they find themselves in a period of rebuild under new boss Andoni Iraola, someone who has experience going up against El Cholo‘s Atleti from when he was Rayo Vallecano manager a few years back. They celebrated their first win of the season at the weekend — a 2-0 win at Ipswich Town — after a pair of draws had raised early question marks over their new set up.
Recent history falls on the side of the Scousers in this fixture, with the last two group stage/league phase matches going their way. Marcos Llorente’s two goals last year weren’t enough to stop Liverpool coming away with the win, and five years ago the team from Anfield cruised to a 2-0 victory.
That won’t be enough to keep beautiful memories of knock-out nights at the stadium from coming to the front of Atleti minds, though. Everyone remembers that night when Llorente’s two goals were enough to go through to the quarter-finals in the last match before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill. Before that it was the equally muscular and long-blonde-haired Diego Forlán scoring in extra time to put Atlético through to the 2010 Europa League final on the very same pitch.
Team news
Two Atlético Madrid players haven’t traveled to England and all for different reasons. Alexander Sørloth remains sidelined through his post-World Cup injury and Arnau Ortiz is suspended. Yes, the man who was playing in the third tier of Spanish football as recently as June cannot play in this match due to a red card he picked up two years ago whilst playing in Poland in a Champions League qualifying match. His and Sørloth’s absences leave Atleti thin in the attacking department going into this match.
Obed Vargas is still in limbo as to where he’ll be playing his football out on loan this season, but he has been included in the traveling squad to Merseyside.
The ‘big’ news in England is that Julián Alvarez is in the UK after all, weeks after he turned down the opportunity to go back to the country where he once triumphed when he said ‘no’ to Arsenal this summer. He’s all but guaranteed minutes given the lack of options Simeone has up front. In a stadium which houses the away fans close to the pitch in the left corner of the stand opposite the Kop, expect to hear some audible boos when he gets on the ball.
It is not yet clear if Cuti Romero will make his first start for the club after donning the kit for his first 30 minutes as a rojiblanco on Saturday. The defender could end up as part of a back five with himself, Marc Pubill and Dávid Hancko as the three center backs, flanked by Marcos Llorente and Alejandro Grimaldo.
In midfield, Morten Hjulmand has been solid enough to keep his place in the team alongside Pablo Barrios, with Koke and Johnny Cardoso ready to add solidity from the bench. Álex Baena and Kang-In Lee will be needed to unlock the Liverpool defence containing familiar foe Ronald Araújo. Ademola Lookman could be going up against the Uruguayan on loan from Barcelona, as he was played at right-back at the weekend.
Alvarez could well start as Atleti’s striker, with Giuliano Simeone also offering a possibility through the middle.
Predicted lineup
Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Hjulmand, Barrios, Baena; Lee, Lookman, Alvarez
