Atletico vs Liverpool live on October 19, 2021: The Reds aim to end hoodoo vs Los Colchoneros

October 19, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, UEFA Champions League

Klopp's side will visit the Spanish champions in what should be a thrilling 90-minute battle. Here's a preview of Tuesday's Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool showdown.

Preview

Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League is upon us, with one of the group stage's most highly-anticipated fixtures set to take place on Tuesday. That game is none other than Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool, with these two European powerhouses set to face off at 3 p.m. ET at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in a battle for the top spot in Group B.

The English and Spanish sides sit first and second in the table, respectively. The Reds boast the advantage, however, as Jurgen Klopp's men have six points under their belt in comparison to Los Rojiblancos' four – they drew with Porto and beat AC Milan while the Merseyside giants won both of their opening two games.

Liverpool started their European campaign in a rocky manner as their opening fixture against AC Milan put them to the test. Despite taking an early 1-0 lead against the Italians, Salah and Co. conceded two quick-fire goals right before the break and thus entered half-time with a 2-1 deficit at home. The Reds eventually pulled off a comeback, scoring twice in the second half to win 3-2, but that first-half lapse in concentration sparked a few concerns.

Fortunately, they put those worries to bed in their second fixture, as they did Porto, thrashing the Portuguese giants 5-1. Salah, Firmino, and midfield starlet Curtis Jones all stole the show as Klopp's men showed once again why they are one of the world's strongest teams.

While they are not top of the league in England, Liverpool are the only side yet to lose a game. Furthermore, they are merely a point behind table-toppers Chelsea and are thus one of the frontrunners for the Premier League title. Nonetheless, this is not to say their clash with Atletico will be a walk in the park as a trip to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium is never an easy feat.

However, Diego Simeone's men have not been as rampant as their opposition. A draw with Porto was a disappointing start to the campaign, and that was followed up with a fortunate victory at the San Siro, with the Spaniards coming back from a goal down to win 2-1 against 10-man AC Milan courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty from Luis Suarez.

Atletico's most recent fixture was an impressive one as the Spanish outfit hosted bitter rivals Barcelona at this very same stadium, marching to a comfortable 2-0 triumph. That result signaled that the Liga champions aren't messing around with their title defense, which is encouraging to see.

Griezmann and Co. were set to be in action this weekend against Granada but that game was postponed, meaning El Cholo had more time on the training field to prepare for this showdown with Liverpool. Whether that will translate into a victory, only time will tell, but at the very least, we can expect Atletico Madrid to give Liverpool a stern 90 minutes of football.

Team news

Atletico: Jose Gimenez, Matheus Cunha and Marcos Llorente are all in contention to feature. Stefan Savic, however, is both suspended and injured for this tie, meaning Kondogbia might be forced to deputize in defense.

Liverpool: Despite resuming light training, Curtis Jones will not be available for this clash. Furthermore, Thiago, who is dealing with a thigh issue, is also set to sit this one out. Alisson and Fabinho, on the other hand, should return after missing the weekend game due to their late return from the international break. Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, continues his recovery from his long-term ankle injury.

Key stats

The last time these two teams met in Madrid, it was in the 2019/2020 round of 16, with Atletico winning 1-0 at home.
The Spaniards went on to win the away leg 3-2, thus dumping the then defending champions out of Europe.
The Reds are yet to beat Los Rojiblancos in their last four encounters, drawing two and losing two.
Since beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 2008/09, the Merseyside giants have lost all but one of their last seven trips to Spain (D1).