SB Nation • 12 min read

Liverpool FC – Atlético Madrid: Preview, predicted lineup

Atlético Madrid travel to one of the most iconic locations in world football to open their 2025/26 UEFA Champions League account on Wednesday.

Liverpool FC, at Anfield, awaits a depleted Atleti side that are without a multitude of important players — all sidelined with injuries picked up just a few weeks into this season.

After winning the league in his first season in charge, Arne Slot has since strengthened his Liverpool side by bringing in world-class

talents such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, giving him what is surely the best squad in the competition.

That is why many have the Reds down as favourites to win their seventh Champions League trophy.

So far this season, Liverpool have a 100 percent record in the league, coming through tough matches against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal before squeezing past Burnley at the weekend thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Mohammed Salah.

Merseyside may be a place where miracles have happened in the past, but not even the most optimistic colchonero will have Diego Simeone’s side as favourites for this one.

Atleti have never won a pre-knockout game in European competitions at Anfield, drawing once in 2008 and losing in 2021, both in the group stage. However, on the two occasions where Los Rojiblancos traveled to the North West of England for a second-leg knockout match, they reached the next round both times.

Going back to the semi-finals of the 2009/10 Europa League, a Diego Forlán goal in extra time took Atlético through to a first European final in the 21st century. In the final in Hamburg, Forlán bagged a brace against Fulham as Atleti won its first European trophy since 1962.

The other occasion was when Marcos Llorente birthed himself onto the world stage with a performance so good, the whole world was shut down for two months immediately after. This was the round of 16 match in the 2019/20 edition of the Champions League, when Atleti scored three goals in extra time to better the then-reigning champions.

Those heading to Anfield will have to call upon the spirit of those two legendary nights in the club’s history should they have any chance of finding a positive result on Wednesday night. It may seem the glass is being looked at half empty instead of half full, but right now, there is barely any water in the glass at all.

Team news

Just looking at the list of players missing is enough to send shivers down the spine, as the three who were out at the weekend against Villarreal (José María Giménez, Álex Baena, Thiago Almada) have now been joined by Julián Alvarez and Johnny Cardoso.

Dávid Hancko could only manage seven minutes after being subbed on at the weekend following a heavy international break, but he has made the squad for this one. However, his involvement is likely to be minimal, as his injury was still classed as a “sprain” — any serious injury was ruled out.

In that case, we could see a lineup less-than-ideal for an away trip to Real Oviedo, never mind Liverpool.

Clément Lenglet will keep his place at the back alongside Robin Le Normand, while Javi Galán has been tested at left-back over Matteo Ruggeri. We saw how those two cost the team so dearly last season when played together, so one can only hope they have improved over the summer for when they have to come up against Salah and company.

The choice to partner Pablo Barrios in midfield seems to be clear, because with Cardoso out and Koke having played a full 90 minutes for the first time in recent memory at the weekend, all signs point toward Conor Gallagher taking up the role. The issue now comes with who would replace either of these players should they have to come off at Anfield.

We can expect Nico Gonzalez to keep his place on the left after his debut goal against Villarreal, with Alexander Sørloth and Antoine Griezmann likely to lead the line. Giacomo Raspadori could have an important role to play off the bench, hopefully with the same success as when he plays for his national team.