Liverpool begin their 2026/27 Champions League campaign at Anfield on Wednesday night when they welcome Atletico Madrid in the opening round of the league phase.
The match is Andoni Iraola’s first Champions League fixture as Liverpool manager, while Atletico arrive in Merseyside looking to recover from a heavy domestic defeat. Liverpool finally secured their first Premier League victory of the season last Friday, beating Ipswich Town 2-0.
Match preview
Liverpool have had a mixed beginning to the new campaign, drawing their opening two Premier League matches against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest before beating Ipswich 2-0.
Alexander Isak provided the decisive contribution at Portman Road, scoring both goals inside the opening nine minutes. The victory also gave Iraola his first win since taking charge of the Reds.
Liverpool have a particularly strong record in Champions League openers at Anfield. They have never lost their opening European Cup or Champions League match at home, winning 10 and drawing two of their previous 12 such fixtures.
Atletico Madrid arrive in less convincing form. Diego Simeone’s side have collected seven points from their opening four La Liga matches, beating Malaga and Sevilla while drawing with Villarreal before suffering a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club on Saturday.
The visitors nevertheless have plenty of European experience and have been difficult opponents for Liverpool historically. The clubs have met nine times, with Liverpool winning four and Atletico three. Liverpool have won three of the five previous meetings at Anfield and have won the last three encounters between the sides.
Wednesday’s meeting is also a repeat of last season’s Champions League opener, when Liverpool edged Atletico 3-2 at Anfield through a late Virgil van Dijk winner.
Team News
Liverpool will be without Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni, who remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
Joe Gomez is nearing a return from a muscle problem and was involved in Tuesday’s preparations, but he is not expected to start. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are also unavailable for Champions League selection after being left out of Liverpool’s league-phase squad.
New signing Bradley Barcola made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against Ipswich. Iraola confirmed that the French winger is ready to play more minutes and is therefore in contention for his first start at Anfield.
For Atletico, Alexander Sorloth is ruled out through injury, while Arnau Ortiz is suspended.
There is also a selection decision over Julian Alvarez. Simeone confirmed that the Argentina forward is not yet ready to start after playing only 55 minutes across two appearances since returning to the squad, although he is expected to feature from the bench.
Atletico added Jonathan David on loan from Juventus late in the transfer window, giving Simeone another attacking option for the Champions League opener.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.
Atletico Madrid predicted XI: Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Grimaldo; Koke, Hjulmand; Giuliano Simeone, Baena, Lookman; Jonathan David.
When is Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid?
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid will be played on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at Anfield.
Kick-off is 8:00pm BST, which is 9:00pm local time in Spain and 12:30am IST on Thursday, September 10. Liverpool and Atletico’s official fixture information confirms the 8pm BST start.
How to watch Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
In the UK, Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with streaming available through HBO Max. Coverage begins at 7pm BST.
In India, Sony is the official Champions League broadcast partner.
What we say: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico’s experience and defensive organisation should make this a difficult opening assignment for Liverpool, particularly after the visitors suffered a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club.
However, Liverpool have the advantage of Anfield and enter the match with renewed confidence after their first victory under Iraola. Isak’s early-season form is another reason to favour the hosts, while Barcola could provide an additional attacking threat if he makes his first start.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid.
Read more – Barcelona vs Feyenoord: Preview, Prediction, Team News, Lineups
Also see – Mbappé joins Champions League greats as Real Madrid beat Inter
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