Diego Simeone has already named the two Liverpool players that he’s afraid of playing against

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Liverpool’s next match is set to come against Atletico Madrid in their first Champions League game of the season.

The clash is going to take place at Anfield with the Reds looking to make a better name for themselves than they did last season.

Indeed, they may have been knocked out by the eventual champions, Paris Saint-Germain, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that they bowed out in the round of 16.

Their last game against Burnley ended 1-0 in Liverpool’s favour thanks to a last-minute penalty from Mohamed Salah.

Scott Parker set his men up in a low block, and even against a team of Burnley’s quality, it was clear that the Reds struggled.

So, the fact that Atletico are set up in the same way shows that Wednesday’s tie isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Diego Simeone knows the quality that Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have in their lockers

At the moment, it’s clear that Liverpool still need to find some improvement among their ranks.

Indeed, they may have won their first four Premier League games of the season, but without the element of luck they’ve been given, things could have been massively different.

And now, ahead of their first Champions League game of the season, it’s already been made clear that Simeone is dreading the thought of playing Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk after what he said about them back in 2021.

“All I care about really is Liverpool, but Mohamed Salah is an extraordinary player, who has been playing at a fantastic level for the last few years with Liverpool and his national team,” he said in quotes relayed by The Metro.

“Liverpool are going through a fantastic spell of football; they seem to have a different rhythm, and it is a pleasure to see them play.

“They have no fear to leave spaces at the back. They press high, play a high line, have speed.

“(Virgil) Van Dijk has improved solidity in defence, which is important even for an attacking team like Liverpool, and he brings security they didn’t have last year.”

Liverpool need to prove they’re in the Champions League to win it this season

Last season, Liverpool were one of the most dominant teams in Europe.

They managed to win seven of their eight Champions League group stage games, with their only defeat coming at the hands of PSV on the last day of the group stages.

And, even though they may have been knocked out in the round of 16, the fact that the eventual winners, PSG, only narrowly beat them shows how good they actually were.

This season, the Champions League is likely to be one of Slot’s main goals.

Atletico will be their first proper test of the season, and it will show whether Slot’s first-team squad actually have what it takes to come away with the trophy.