Tehran: Liverpool will kick off their 2026-27 Champions League campaign at Anfield against Atl©tico Madrid on Wednesday. The fixture rekindles memories of last season's thrilling encounter at Merseyside, where Liverpool clinched a 3-2 victory thanks to a stoppage-time header by Virgil van Dijk. This season, Liverpool enters the competition with a new manager, Andoni Iraola, who will be making his European debut after leading Liverpool to a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town. Atl©tico Madrid, on the other hand, arrives at Anfield following a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Club at San Mam©s.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Liverpool will be without several key players, including Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa, who were not included in the club's Champions League roster. The injury list also features Hugo Ekitik©, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni. Joe Gomez is dealing with a muscle issue and is a doubt for the match. However, Bradley Barcola, a £100m signing, might make his first start after a promising debut against Ipswich. Alexander Isak is also expected to lead the attack, aiming to continue his scoring form.

Atl©tico Madrid will be without Alexander S¸rloth due to a thigh injury, and Arnau Ortiz is suspended. Juli¡n Alvarez, who was benched after a transfer saga and illness, might return to the starting lineup. Cristian Romero could start at center-back, and Jonathan David, newly joined on loan from Juventus, may debut from the bench.

Liverpool's manager, Iraola, emphasized the importance of their recent clean sheet victory, while Atl©tico's Diego Simeone expressed frustration over their previous performance against Athletic Club. Both managers face pressure to secure a positive result in this opening fixture.

The predicted lineup for Liverpool includes Alisson, Araºjo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo, and Isak. Atl©tico is expected to field Oblak, Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Grimaldo, Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Lookman, Alvarez, and Baena.

The teams have a rich history of encounters, with Liverpool holding a slight edge in their head-to-head record. The upcoming match promises to be another exciting chapter in their rivalry.