Champions League
2026-09-09 - Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Match Day 1
Wednesday 9th September 2026 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Liverpool
Getting that first victory on the board to open his era as manager of Liverpool Football Club will have felt really important for Andoni Iraola and he will be hoping to lead the squad into the September international break with some momentum. Four games are to be played before Liverpool get into that break and the next three are at Anfield where the Champions League gets underway on Wednesday.
A very strong history in European Football means these nights under the lights at Anfield are well known around the continent. Two years ago Liverpool had topped the Champions League Group in this new format, but Arne Slot placed less stock on doing that last season and The Reds reached the Quarter Final of the competition before finding Paris Saint-Germain too good for a second season in a row.
Liverpool had begun the season with consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest and that had extended the winless run to 6 games in all competitions. However, it is a run that was snapped in the 0-2 win at Portman Road on Friday night and Liverpool have something to build upon. Liverpool are unbeaten in 4 at Anfield since losing to Paris Saint-Germain, but the last 3 here have all ended in draws.
The squad that travelled to East Anglia looks like it will be available on Wednesday and Andoni Iraola is expected to resist wholesale rotation.
Atletico Madrid
It has been a turbulent summer at Atletico Madrid and the transfer saga involving Julian Alvarez overshadowed everything they were trying to do. They resisted selling Alvarez to Barcelona, but that also means they have an unhappy player in the dressing room for the next four months at least, and Atletico Madrid will need Diego Simeone to be at his best if he can take them back into the Champions League Semi Final.
In recent years, Atletico Madrid have no longer been the dark horse to win the Champions League as they had been a decade ago, but they are still dangerous and have reached the Quarter Final in 2024 and Semi Final in 2026 following a Group Stage exit in the 2023 edition. The away form will have to be improved and Atletico Madrid have lost 5 of the last 9 on their travels in the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid may not have had a smooth summer, but they had begun the season unbeaten in 3 games in all competitions before the thumping 3-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao this past weekend. It is a result that means the side have been beaten in 8 of the last 12 away games played.
Arnau Ortiz is expected to serve a suspension, while Alexander Sorloth is likely to sit out with an injury.
Head to Head
Almost exactly a year ago, Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 at Anfield in a back and forth contest.
Liverpool have won 3 in a row against Atletico Madrid, including twice in a row at home, since being Knocked Out by this opponent in the Last 16 of the Champions League just as Covid was about to shut down much of the world.
Prediction
The first year of the new format of the Champions League Group Stage perhaps caught one or two teams out, but most of the top clubs were much more aware of what they needed to do last season.
While we do get to see some good looking games in each Match Day through to January, it does feel like there is very little jeopardy in the early games in this competition.
Getting up to 16 or 17 points may be enough to secure a top eight spot and that is the main ambition for teams as they look to avoid an extra Round to negotiate in February.
Wednesday is also an important night for Andoni Iraola who will be managing Liverpool on a European night for the first time and at Anfield no less! The Spaniard will be well aware of the importance of these ties to the local and Liverpool will be looking to build on an opening win of the season when hosting Atletico Madrid.
It has been a difficult summer for Atletico Madrid as Julian Alvarez has made no secret of his desire to leave for Barcelona.
Despite that, they have made a decent start to the season, although Atletico Madrid were thumped in Bilbao on Saturday to dent some of the confidence gained. That has continued a poor run of form away from home and Atletico Madrid suffered defeats in England to Liverpool and Arsenal last season.
Containing this Liverpool attack is a big challenge and it is those attackers who can ultimately make the difference and offer the Premier League club three points to begin this Champions League campaign.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool 3-1 Atletico Madrid
