Liverpool open their Champions League campaign on Tuesday with a trip to AC Milan, with Europe’s greatest club competition changing its format this season.
The Reds have made a strong start to life under Arne Slot, impressing in the Premier League but faltering against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and attention now turns to the Champions League. Last season, they had to settle for a place in the Europa League, being knocked out by eventual winners Atalanta, but their third-place finish in the league ensured that they are back where they belong.
Up first for Liverpool is a trip to Milan on Tuesday evening, in a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 finals, with the Merseysiders memorably overcoming a 3-0 deficit to eventually win on penalties in the former. Slot’s side may well be favourites to prevail, even though they are away from home, but a defeat in Italy would immediately give them work to do in their quest to reach the knockout stages.
AC Milan v Liverpool kick-off time & UK TV info
Liverpool’s clash with AC Milan at the San Siro takes place on Tuesday 17th September and kicks off at 8pm BST.
Amazon Prime Video will be showing the match live from that time – they are sharing the rights with TNT Sports this season – following Aston Villa’s trip to Young Boys (5.45pm).
AC Milan v Liverpool team news
Fortunately, Liverpool haven’t had too many injury problems to contend with so far this season, having been plagued by fitness issues throughout last term. Harvey Elliott is a definite absentee on Tuesday night, however, with the 21-year-old fracturing his foot while on international duty with England’s Under-21s.
He is expected to be unavailable for the next six to eight weeks, meaning Slot will have to make do without an important squad player during an intense period of fixtures. Youngster Jayden Danns is also still out with a back problem.
As for Milan, Alessandro Florenzi is a long-term absentee, while Ismael Bennacer is also out of the visit of Liverpool.
How the new Champions League format works
It’s all change in the Champions League this season, with UEFA ripping things up and changing the group stages. There are now 36 teams in the competition, compared to the 32 that we have got used to over the years, and every side will play eight group stage matches.
There is essentially one huge league table, with the top eight sides going straight into the last 16. On the flip side, the bottom 12 teams will be eliminated immediately. Those that finish between ninth and 16th will go into a playoff as a seeded team, while those in 17th to 24th place will be unseeded.
The knockout stage will be the same as before, in terms of two-legged ties all the way down to the final, before a one-off clash in the showcase event at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena next May. Got it?
Who will Liverpool play?
There is an interesting, and tough-looking, mix of teams that Liverpool are up against, starting with Milan and followed by a home clash with Bologna on October 2nd.
A trip to RB Leipzig (October 23rd) and home meeting with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen (November 5th) are up next, followed by a mouthwatering showdown with Real Madrid at Anfield (November 27th) and trip to Girona (December 10th).
Lille at home (January 21st) and PSV Eindhoven away (January 29th) round things off in the New Year, at which point Liverpool will hope to have progressed.
