What to expect from Liverpool's Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid

[p]Two of the last three games have seen five-goal thrillers, with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Reds[/a] coming out on top on both of those occasions, and again in a 2-0 victory that was sandwiched between those 3-2 wins.[/p][h2]Julian Alvarez out of sorts for Atleti[/h2][p]Though the Premier League outfit have clearly had the upper hand of late and are unbeaten against the Spaniards since 2019/20, Los Rojiblancos have never lost four consecutive European Cup/Champions League games against the same opponent.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atleti[/a] are one of just six teams ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] are the others) to have played in every edition of the tournament since 2013/14, too, so their European pedigree isn't in question.[/p][embed guid="6fceafa9-9838-415d-ac27-732e198cf190" url="https://x.com/atletienglish/status/2097413132490527035" social-type="twitter" /][p]They do have internal issues that threaten to undermine their success at present, however, with the ongoing treatment of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Julian Alvarez[/a] clearly something that needs to be properly addressed.[/p][p]The Argentinian top-scored for Atleti in last season's UCL, his 10 goals seeing him level with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Kvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a] and only beaten by the 15 that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] plundered, and the 14 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] scored for Bayern Munich.[/p][h2]Iraola's Champions League debut[/h2][p]It's therefore clear how important he remains for the mattress makers, but he has looked a shadow of himself so far this season, and is yet to get off the mark or provide an assist.[/p][p]At least [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/llorente-marcos/z3D5zvbD/"]Marcos Llorente[/a] certainly enjoys playing at Anfield.[/p][embed guid="61c41351-afd4-43f9-ab07-c8f3e0e86bb4" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2097604386218287129" social-type="twitter" /][p]The marauding midfielder has scored four goals in his two appearances there, with the only other stadium where he's found the net on more occasions being Atleti's home ground, the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iraola-andoni/xpALVpwq/"]Andoni Iraola[/a] is making his UCL debut in the dugout, with his only previous experience of a European campaign as a manager coming at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aek-larnaca/4lUZQCQq/"]AEK Larnaca[/a] in the Europa League in 2018/19.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/atl-madrid-jaarqpLQ/liverpool-lId4TMwf/?mid=6aa0PFtQ"]Follow Liverpool v Atletico Madrid with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][h2]Liverpool have never lost a UCL/European Cup opener at Anfield[/h2][p]He has drawn one and lost three of the four matches when pitted against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simeone-diego/AZ18LjKN/"]Diego Simeone[/a] (for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Rayo Vallecano[/a]), so the new Liverpool manager clearly has a score to settle at Anfield.[/p][p]The Basque may be comforted by the fact that the Merseyside outfit have never lost their opening game of a European Cup/UCL game when playing at Anfield, winning 10 and drawing two of the 12 matches.[/p][embed guid="917805d6-0c82-4045-b796-ec632145b99a" url="https://x.com/atletienglish/status/2097443678486757705" social-type="twitter" /][p]The last three of those all came via a 3-2 win, and coincidentally one was against Atleti in 2025/26.[/p][p]During that 25/26 campaign, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/szoboszlai-dominik/dERKtqoo/"]Dominik Szoboszlai[/a] came to the fore, with the Hungarian winning possession back on most occasions for Liverpool (85 times), covering the most distance (130km), providing the most assists (four) and scoring the most goals (five).[/p][h2]No Salah, so Gakpo and Wirtz need to come to the fore[/h2][p]Arguably, without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a] in the Reds' UCL squad for the first time since 2014/15, Szoboszlai and others need to step up their efforts once more.[/p][p]The Egyptian King holds the Liverpool record for most games played in the competition (83), most goals scored (47) and most assists provided (19), so if Iraola doesn't hit the sweet spot with his selection, Salah's omission from the line-up could be felt even more keenly.[/p][image alt="Liverpool v Atletico Madrid - Win probability" id="28e50f94-0f14-4f32-a56f-ed115deee76c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e6046583-a0ef-476d-ba5b-3c7cf8cba98e" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]Both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wirtz-florian/0Q5gjImi/"]Florian Wirtz[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a] could therefore be important, with the former creating more chances per 90 minutes (3.4) than any other player (who played at least 300 minutes) in last season's Champions League, and the latter creating the most big chances (1.3).[/p][p]Although Liverpool have lost only one of their last six matches in all competitions, they've won only one and drawn the other four, scoring 10 but conceding 10, too.[/p][h2]Goals likely[/h2][p]Iraola will want to see an improvement on that kind of output, and something approaching the Reds' UCL form from last season, when they won four of their six home games.[/p][p]Atleti have won three, lost two and drawn one of their last six in all competitions, scoring nine and conceding 11.[/p][image alt="Liverpool v Atletico Madrid - Recent head-to-head results" id="fb691f33-89f4-47c7-b8fb-6470b2232aca" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="98586ca1-9e48-42c2-9ea5-e23ac693b991" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]Both teams haven't had a problem finding the net then, though neither have been up to the standards required defensively.[/p][p]What that's likely to mean is that another goal fest could be on the cards, which might be great for the neutral but isn't likely to please Messrs. Iraola and Simeone.[/p][p]Let battle commence...[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]