Liverpool are back in Europe tonight, and they kick off their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with what on paper at least is their toughest test of the entire league phase with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid arriving on Merseyside to face Andoni Iraola’s Reds under the lights at Anfield.
It’s as far as you could ever get from easy, but it’s exactly the sort of matchup that makes the Champions League the consensus top club competition in football and most prestigious trophy on offer. Naturally,
then, captain Virgil van Dijk and his teammates are very much looking forward to it.
“We can’t wait to get our campaign under way this evening,” Van Dijk noted ahead of Wednesday night’s kickoff. “When you play for Liverpool, these are the nights you live for, challenging yourself against the best teams and the best players. It is a privilege that must never be taken for granted.
“I know you guys know that, and I know that Anfield will be rocking as usual tonight. Reflecting on the game against Ipswich last Friday, the three points are the most important thing, but the way we worked together as a team, the way we pressed and defended and fought, was very pleasing.
“Now we need to show those things—and more—on a consistent basis. Tonight will be another tough game. We are welcoming a very strong opponent, one we have become pretty familiar with in recent years. We will need to work extremely hard if we want to start with a victory this evening.”
After Atleti, the Reds have a relatively short turnaround before facing Fulham on Saturday, then Tottenham in the League Cup next Tuesday, and finally Bournemouth on September 20th before the players head off to join their national teams for the first international break of the season.
