Liverpool look to maintain their winning start to the 2025–26 season when they host Atlético Madrid in their Champions League opener on Wednesday evening.
The Reds have won all four of their Premier League games this term but have needed late heroics to retain their perfect record. Another last-gasp winner saw them beat newly-promoted Burnley at the weekend as Mohamed Salah strode forward confidently from the penalty spot to earn the Reds victory at Turf Moor in stoppage time.
Arne Slot knows that such drama in the dying embers of matches cannot be relied upon long-term and will be eager to witness a more comfortable victory at home to Atlético in Liverpool’s first league phase encounter. The Dutchman guided the Reds to top spot in last season’s table with seven victories from eight, but Diego Simeone’s wily operators will offer them a sizeable opening test this year.
Atlético don’t enter Wednesday’s fixture in particularly convincing form having won just one of their four La Liga games this season. Their 2–0 win at home to Villarreal at the weekend got them up and running after a defeat to Espanyol was followed by back-to-back draws with Elche and Deportivo Alavés.
Atléti have immense European experience, however, and will have no qualms heading to Anfield midweek. They have lost their last two meetings with Liverpool but will take solace from knocking the Reds out of the Champions League in 2019–20 with a remarkable 3–2 extra-time victory on Merseyside.
Here is guide to the Champions League clash.
