Champions LeagueThe opposition lowdown: Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone's side visit Anfield on Wednesday for an 8pm BST kick-off as the league phase of the competition begins.
Take an in-depth look at what to expect from the Reds' first European opponents of 2026-27 below…
Season so far
Atletico sit sixth in the La Liga table after four matches of the new campaign, having had two victories, one draw and a defeat so far.
Simeone's charges began with a 2-0 home win over Malaga, which was followed by a 2-2 draw versus Villarreal and a 3-1 away defeat of Sevilla.
They head to Anfield on the back of a 3-0 loss at Athletic Club last Saturday.
Players to watch
A World Cup winner with Spain during the summer, Alex Baena has been Atletico's danger man in the final third so far this season.
In just 239 minutes of action in La Liga, the forward has scored three goals and supplied one assist for his team.
Ademola Lookman, Giuliano Simeone, Lee Kang-In - who recently arrived from Paris Saint-Germain - and Marc Pubill each have a single goal to their name.
Among other summer transfers for Atletico, two notable additions have been former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero and forward Jonathan David. The latter joined from Juventus on loan on deadline day.
Midfielder Morten Hjulmand also made the move to the Spanish capital from Sporting CP, as did full-back Alejandro Grimaldo from Bayer Leverkusen.
Opposition view
Pascual Ruiz Arnal, journalist covering Atletico
"Atletico Madrid have had a positive start. Despite the defeat in Bilbao, the new signings are adapting to Simeone's system, and the feeling is that the team's play will improve, along with the results. The start of the season is an improvement over last year's.
"Without a doubt, the most exciting signing has been Kang-In. A goal against Malaga and an assist in Sevilla. Many believe he could be a worthy successor to Antoine Griezmann, which is high praise at Atletico.
"Alex Baena also deserves a mention. His performances at the World Cup have given him confidence, and he is proving to be one of the best players in the opening matches.
"I think Simeone will stick to an approach similar to what we've seen since January. Since then, he has favoured a 4-3-3 formation with a target forward and a strong emphasis on play through the flanks.
"It is a team that shifts significantly during matches, dropping into a back three to play out from the back, featuring players who roam freely to help beat the opponent's press."
Previous meeting
The two teams faced each other in September last year, also on the opening matchday of this stage of the tournament, and also at Anfield.
Liverpool came away with three points that night thanks to a topsy-turvy 3-2 victory.
Goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah put the Reds in control after just six minutes of the contest, but a Marcos Llorente brace restored parity.
Virgil van Dijk's stoppage-time header grabbed a win for the hosts, however.
Pre-match stats
- The clubs have met nine times before, with Liverpool winning four and Atletico three. The Reds have won three of the five matches played at Anfield
- Liverpool have won each of the last three clashes, one in Madrid and the latter two at Anfield
- Atletico have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 Champions League matches
- They have met English teams 45 times before, winning 15, drawing 15 and losing 15
- In England they have won four times in 22 visits, with seven draws and 11 defeats
What they said
Simeone, Atletico head coach
"I don't think it has been motivation what happened to us in Bilbao, it was a lack of awareness, switching off.
"We are coming into a marvellous stadium, a great atmosphere. We have to look at the start of the game as it will be full on.
"Bit by bit we are starting to find ourselves and we can start to show our best in the games coming up."