Confirmed Liverpool lineup & reaction vs Atletico Madrid in UEFA Champions League

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Here’s the confirmed Liverpool lineup to face Atletico Madrid in Spain later today. The Reds know a win would be a big step towards UEFA Champions League progression.

Jurgen Klopp picked his XI for this one knowing full well that he’d lack certain players. Both Thiago and Curtis Jones remain out with injuries, while Harvey Elliott is certainly some way off of a return.

Both Alisson and Fabinho would be back, however, after missing the Watford game. Brazil’s late fixture against Uruguay prevented the duo from appearing at the weekend.

But there were some decisions to make, especially with Manchester United waiting at the weekend. Would Klopp rotate?

The boss didn’t use Diogo Jota at Vicarage Road, making him an obvious rotation option. Both Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate could come in at centre-back, too, while Kostas Tsimikas was there to give Andy Robertson a rest.

So let’s see what Klopp has gone for.

Liverpool lineup vs Atletico Madrid

Alisson Becker

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Joel Matip

Virgil van Dijk

Kostas Tsimikas

Jordan Henderson

Naby Keita

James Milner

Mohamed Salah

Roberto Firmino

Sadio Mane

Alisson
Alexander-Arnold – Matip – Van Dijk – Robertson
Henderson
Milner – Keita
Salah – Firmino – Mane

It’s a strong XI but we knew Klopp wouldn’t take too many risks with this one. And after Saturday’s display, everyone available has their confidence up.

But there’s a clear surprise here. Fabinho remains on the bench as Liverpool stick with the outfield 10 that smashed Watford. It’s a brave choice and one people will judge the performance on.

Reaction

Fan reaction to this one is mixed at best, with many not understanding the midfield decision. There’s also some questioning whether Klopp’s decision to not rest players for next weekend.

Klopp leans into consistency for this one, then, hoping for a similar display as Saturday’s. He takes some risks in favour of that, however.