Preview: RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool
Yesterday at 04:00 PM
The Reds look to make it three from three in the Champions League.
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
| Wednesday, October 23rd |
Champions League | Red Bull Arena
8PM BST / 3PM EST
The Reds are back for what looks like it'll be the toughest run of games in their season, and after dispatching Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday, they travel to Germany to take on Jürgen Klopp's new employer in RB Leipzig.
The sporting arm of the energy drink conglomerate has had a decent start to their domestic season, sitting second in the table on equal points with leaders Bayern Munich — albeit with fewer than half as many goals scored — but have lost two straight in the Champions League, falling by a single goal to both Atletico Madrid and Juventus to start their European campaign.
Former Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose, is entering his third year with the organization that originally gave him his shot at management more than a decade ago, and the German will be hoping his side can turn their European fortunes around when they host Arne Slot's men tomorrow night.
Injuries rule out David Raum, Xavier Schlager and starlet Assan Ouedraogo, but Rose will otherwise be able to call upon his full squad, including top goal scorers Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda.
Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Diaz, Núñez, Salah
For the Reds, Caoimhin Kelleher will retain his place between the sticks for the duration of Alisson Becker's injury absence, which will stretch until after the November international break at least. Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk will likely continue their partnership at the heart of the defense, while Kostas Tsimikas could start at left-back, allowing Andy Robertson's minutes to be managed. Trent Alexander-Arnold continues at right-back as Conor Bradley has stayed home while the team travelled.
In midfield, expect Alexis Mac Allister to return, while Curtis Jones' star turn at the weekend could see the Scouser oust one of Ryan Gravenberch or Dominik Szoboszlai from the starting XI. Harvey Elliott has yet to return to the team following his injury with the national team back in September.
Up top, Diogo Jota misses out after suffering a knock against Chelsea, while Federico Chiesa has yet to return to full fitness. Thus, Darwin Núñez is likely to be flanked by Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, while Cody Gakpo waits in the wings for his opportunity.
What the Managers Said
Arne Slot: "With this format, after two games you can have a league table that doesn't tell the whole story. They are a very good team and yes the fixture list is tough but what do you expect if you play in the Champions League? That is what we like and what we want."
Marco Rose: "Their game hasn't changed much, they still play at a really high intensity.Their positional play is strong and dominant, plus they are hard to defend against and have lots of quality in attack. They are a top side and it's an exciting challenge for us."
The Officials (SUI)
Referee: Sandro Schärer
Assistant referees: Stéphane De Almeida, Jonas Erni
Fourth official: Lukas Fähndrich
VAR: Fedayi San, Pol van Boekel (NED)
Kickoff is set for 8PM GMT/3PM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV.
In the meantime, and as always, we'll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it's released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.
