Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid

Liverpool begin their UCL campaign after a narrow victory over Burnley at the weekend. These two sides have shared some dramatic encounters in recent years, and the tactical battle between Arne Slot and Diego Simeone promises to be another intriguing chapter in their rivalry. Historically, Liverpool endured a frustrating start against Atlético. Between 2008 and 2020, they failed to win any of their first four meetings, drawing twice and losing twice. That run included the painful last-16 exit in 2019-20, when Simeone’s men secured victories both home and away to progress 4-2 on aggregate. Since then, however, the balance has shifted slightly. The Reds claimed home and away wins during the 2021-22 group stage, showing they are capable of breaking Atlético’s defensive stranglehold. Arne Slot brings fresh ideas to Liverpool’s European challenge, but he has his own history with Atlético. While in charge of Feyenoord, his team faced Simeone’s men twice in the group stage, losing both games (1-3 at home and 2-3 away). Yet, the underlying numbers told a different story: Feyenoord generated more shots (29–16) and a higher expected goals tally (3.6–2.1) across the two fixtures. Slot will take encouragement from that, believing his more talented Liverpool squad can get their UCL campaign off on a flying note. Hugo Ekitiké is poised to lead the attack when Slot deploys the 4—2—3—1 formation.

For Atlético, their record against English sides has been mixed since that famous victory over Liverpool. They have managed just one win in their last eight Champions League games against Premier League opponents (D2 L5), that solitary success coming at Old Trafford against Manchester United in March 2022. Simeone’s side, renowned for their defensive discipline, have found consistency harder to come by in these high-intensity clashes. However, Atlético are usually strong starters in Europe. They have lost just once in their last 10 opening group-stage matches (W5 D4), that lone defeat coming at Bayern Munich in 2020. Their resilience under Simeone is reflected in their defensive record: they have kept a clean sheet in 42 percent of their Champions League games under his tenure, the best rate for any Spanish club managed for 50 or more matches in the competition. A 4—4—2 formation with Antoine Griezmann and Julián Alvarez in attack is expected against Liverpool.