The UEFA Champions League is back once again this midweek after a week’s break with its entertaining and enthralling set of fixtures that is certain to fascinate the football fanatics with the usual aura of its alluring football display. Teams across all of Europe’s elite leagues will compete among themselves to try and get their hands on the coveted trophy. With the domestic leagues ending late on Sunday, we will soon have another delightful matchday coming up on Wednesday. It’s the Reds of Liverpool who will square-off against the Reds of Madrid in the 4th–round of group stage fixtures. Liverpool welcome Atletico to Anfield on Wednesday night in what would be an endearing encounter to watch.
Liverpool has been off to a flying start in the Premier League with 22points after 10-assignments and sitting comfortably at second. In UCL though, the Reds are in swashbuckling form and sitting atop the table with a perfect campaign till now. They will be certainly looking forward to carrying on their unbeaten run in the UCL too against Atletico tomorrow night.
Atletico, on the other hand, aren’t off to the best of starts in the Laliga but are placed well at fourth. They are two points adrift of the top and have not been much good in the UCL too. With only 4 points from 3 games, they will have to perform really well to book their place in the knockouts.
So, it’s time to see who gets the better of the other in this evenly-matched contest between the two sides.
Why should you watch out this match for
There is absolutely no reason in the world that can stop you from watching this high-voltage fixture tonight. Two of the top teams in Europe, the defending La-Liga champions and the 2019-20 Premier League champs, will lock horns at Anfield in a fierce battle. Before face-off, there will be contrasting faces in the two camps. Liverpool would aim to win this match and further consolidate their position as the table toppers. Atletico, though, isn’t a must-win position before the match and any further slip-up would result in their elimination from UCL. And the desperateness of Atletico to win this fixture as an away side spices up the fixture even more.
https://instagram.com/ballthatmatters?igshid=1wlttk94e247j
We’re certain that you will be witnessing some exceptional piece of football from two of the strongest teams in Europe currently. It’s like a battle between one of the strongest defenses and one of the most dangerous attacking sides on the continent. When fire clashes with ice, entertainment is a must and this sums up why you should sit to watch this clash. So, what are you waiting for, tighten your seat belts and get ready to watch an eye-catching Klopp-Simeone battle?
Recent Form
Liverpool
The Reds are coming onto this match after playing out a frustrating 2-2 draw against Brighton at Anfield on Saturday. They would be disappointed with the way they squandered their lead on either side of the first half. The Merseyside club broke the deadlock in the fourth minute itself thanks to an early goal from veteran Jordan Henderson. Sadio Mane doubled their lead in the 24thminute but Brighton pulled one back through a thunderous stunner from Enock Mwepu. The Seagulls completed their epic comeback when Leandro Trossard scored the equalizer in the 66th minute. And Klopp’s side couldn’t score any further goals thanks to some excellent defending from Graham Potter’s team.
Liverpool almost controlled the match for a good amount of time and maintained about 60% possession. Clearly, they lacked the edge in the attacking third as Liverpool could manage only 3shots on target compared to Brighton’s six. For a team that has one of the most vicious attacks, scoring goals shouldn’t be an issue against low-block teams. Klopp definitely needs to address this problem before the big Atletico game and no wonder they will perform better surely. In the previous games against United and Watford, they hit five goals consecutively in both the games. Now their only aim would be to do a double over Atletico when they face them tomorrow.
Atletico Madrid
The Los RojiBlancos are traveling to Liverpool on the back of a commanding 3-0 win against Real Betis at the Wanda Metropolitano. After some bad displays against the lower bottom sides, Atletico finally seems to have found the momentum with this win. The Madrid giants took the lead by virtue of a Yannick Carrasco strike in the 26thmin and got their tally doubled soon after. One own goal and a late Joao Felix strike sealed a conniving win for them.
The Los Colchoneros couldn’t maintain much possession but were superior in the opposition box. They took a whopping 18 shots out of which 9 were on target compared to Betis’ only one. Their defense played really well that day and deserved special mention for keeping the opposition attackers at bay. Savic and Hermoso were really good along with Koke and De Paul in the midfield. After one loss and two draws, this win came as a timely boost for Simeone’s side. No wonder that they have to lift up their gameplay by leaps and bounds in order to defeat Liverpool. Let’s see if the Reds-and-Whites from Madrid can do it and inch-a-step closer to book a knockout berth with a win.
Team News
Liverpool
Liverpool and injuries have become synonymous since last year around. Since the start of the season, they have been plagued by injuries early this season too. Guinean midfielder Naby Keita returned in the match against Brighton but lasted only 19 mins before picking up another injury. James Milner and Harvey Elliott are ruled out of the clash owing to long-term injuries. Brazilian Fabinho and Thiago Alacantara are serious doubts about the fixture and may not feature. Apart from these players, there are no such injuries in the camp as of now.
Atletico Madrid
Simeone is going to Liverpool with neither much to ponder for injuries. The only absentees due to injuries will be Geoffrey Kondogbia and Thomas Lemar. They both have been ruled out of the fixture. Savic is serving a lengthy layoff from the European circuit and will return after this match. Griezmann too will sit in the stands to watch it as he got a straight red in the previous game. Other than these players, all are fit to start the game.
Head-to-Head
In all. Liverpool and Atletico have contested eight times on the European stage. Atletico has a slight edge with three wins out of those eight face-offs. Liverpool has bagged two wins and the rest three games ended in a stalemate.
The most recent clash between the two teams in the previous round saw Liverpool defeating their bitter rivals 3-2. The Reds went 2-0 up inside 13mins but Atletico leveled in the first half itself. Mohammed Salah’s78thmin penalty proved out to be the decisive one. Atletico will seek redemption this time for that loss when they visit Anfield tomorrow.
Players to watch out for
Trent Alexander Arnold
England right-back is one of the most talented right-backs in the world right now. He has given some exceptional performances in Liverpool jersey for the last two to three years. And in the course of time, the young full-back has turned out to be one of the most dependable in the squad. His astronomical goal contribution statistics along with swift maintenance of the defense make him one of the most decorated players now. In any big match, he is Klopp’s go-to man for giving stellar shows. Once again, he would be called upon to dish out a decent performance against Atletico tomorrow.
Yannick Carrasco
The Belgian is one of the most versatile players in world football at this moment. He can be made playing in a lot of positions in midfield and attacking third. His contribution to his team from each and every position is truly jaw-dropping and inspiring. His pace, inch-perfect crosses, and passing skills are the invaluable assets of Atletico. In the limited starts he got, he tried to make an impression in all of those. Simeone would hope that his star man comes up with a good performance against the England giants.
The Galactico vs The Pharaoh
Luis Suarez
The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker is playing for Atletico in the twilight of his career but is still as-lively as before. He was one of the pivotal characters’ instrumentals in handing Atletico the Laliga crown the previous year. With his prolific scoring, he is still one of the most feared strikers in the world. He is dangerous in and around the boxes as well as aerially. Suarez will definitely be polishing his scoring boots once again when he plays at his former home ground.
Mohammed Salah
The Egyptian ace has been on another level since the start of the new season. He has taken goalscoring and playmaking to such simplicity that it seems like a regular daily affair to him nowadays. He has been so consistent for the Merseyside giants over the years and delivered in the each-and-every season with significant contributions. This year too, he has a whopping 15 goals and 6 assists from only 13 games. Why anyone would search for the definition of consistency when you have Salah playing in front of you. Against Atletico too, Klopp will wholly depend on him to provide him with the much-needed goals upfront.
Conclusion
In all respects, this match is going to be enticing and exhilarating for the fans. Both the teams will go all out for a victory and the winning team will be in a much more comfortable situation. Liverpool, hoping to keep up their unbeaten run intact are up against the team for whom it’s a do-or-die game! Expect a fierce and thrilling encounter to take place at a magical Wednesday evening in Anfield. Can Klopp’s men in Red continue on their winning run for the 2021-22 season unbothered or will Simeone’s tricky reds snatch a victory out of them? Tune into the match from 1:30 AM IST on Thursday to know everything!!
For more such articles do click here
