(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Liverpool will be looking to cement their position at the top of Group D when they face Italian side Atalanta at the Stadio di Bergamo [Kick-off 20:00 pm].
The Reds may not be playing their best free-flowing football just yet this season but they still sit top of the Premier League table after beating West Ham with a 2-1 comeback victory at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool have also managed to win both of their opening European games so far having picked up six points against Ajax and Midtjylland so Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to maintain their 100 per cent record with another win over Atalanta this evening.
However, that won’t be easy as the high-scoring Serie A outfit are an extremely dangerous side on their day so Liverpool will need to be on top form if they want to come away with all three points.
Atalanta currently sit second in Group D and two points adrift of Liverpool after being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Ajax last week so they will be looking to get back to winning ways at the Stadio di Bergamo tonight.
Team news
Liverpool will continue to be without Thiago Alcantara as the midfielder is yet to return from a knee injury while Virgil van Dijk is facing a lengthy spell out following knee surgery.
Joel Matip is back in full training but is unlikely to be risked from the start with Sunday’s game against Manchester City in mind. Fabinho remains out so Rhys Williams could get another start in defence.
Naby Keita is back in contention but is lacking match fitness while the same can be said of Kostas Tsimikas – who’s back in full training. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains a long-term injury absentee for Liverpool.
Klopp could freshen things up with James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri pushing for starts while Diogo Jota may have earned a start in attack after impressing in recent games.
As for Atalanta, they’ll be without Mattia Caldara, Marco Carnesecchi, Cristiano Piccini and Marten de Roon but goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini is back in contention from a knee injury.
Expected line-ups
Atalanta: Sportiello; Toloi, Romero, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Freuler, Pasalic, Gosens; Ilicic, Gomez; Zapata
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Williams, Gomez, Robertson; Henderson, Milner, Shaqiri; Salah, Mane, Jota
Prediction
Atalanta 2-2 Liverpool: Atalanta have scored more goals than any other side in Serie A this season and have already netted six times in their two Champions League group games so Liverpool will do well to keep a clean sheet tonight considering their problems in central defence.
However, Klopp’s side are also formidable going forward and will be confident of getting something from the game. It’s difficult to see the Reds losing but they may have to settle for a valuable 2-2 draw.
