Liverpool vs Bologna LIVE: Latest Champions League updates

As Arne Slot looked forward to his first European night at Anfield, Alexis Mac Allister harked back to his Champions League bow. Which was all of two weeks ago. As the Liverpool midfielder noted, it is remarkable he had won the World Cup before even playing in the premier club competition. “For some people it was a surprise I won a World Cup but I made my debut against [AC] Milan in the Champions League so it is quite crazy,” the Argentina international said.

But, swift as Mac Allister’s rise was, it was nonetheless a sign of Liverpool’s enduring appeal that they could recruit him when in the Europa League. Slot was in the Champions League last season but, while Jurgen Klopp is a Champions League winner and four-time finalist, his predecessor was not.

The Dutchman nevertheless has particular reasons to relish Bologna’s visit to Anfield. “I am privileged enough to work at Feyenoord where Champions League nights last season were also really special. People tell me it will be even more special here tomorrow,” he said.

These two sides have never previously met in a competitive fixture.

The Reds currently sit 12th in the Champions League’s new league phase table, though they have played a game less than many teams. In the Premier League, Slot’s side sit top of the league with 15 points, one above both Arsenal and Manchester City.

Bologna are seven-time winners of Serie A and finished fourth last season, though they are struggling in 13th this season, with just seven points. They have lost several key personnel since last season, including manager Thiago Motta (who moved to Juventus) and Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee.

Heading into the first few weeks of the new Premier League season, one of the most frequent questions aimed Arne Slot’s way was that of rotation. At Feyenoord, he candidly explained, there was little reason to switch up his first team too much; fewer league games, one fewer domestic cup to navigate and more difficulty in reaching the latter stages of Europe. His final campaign at the Eredivisie side saw Slot’s team play only 48 matches – and that included the Johan Cruyff Shield, the Dutch season-opener, and going the distance to win the KNVB Cup.

A few weeks later and the new Liverpool boss has shown a deft hand at altering his lineup without, so far, dramatically reducing the quality on show; while the performance against West Ham was somewhat stutteringafter nine changes, so too was the win over Wolves with a regular first XI in place.

League Cup aside, Slot has shown an early preference for making a couple of switches, keeping the bulk of his starters in situ and letting others find form and push for places two or three at a time. Cody Gakpowas perhaps the first to stake his claim; more recently, Curtis Jones has done likewise.

Liverpool made one change, with Darwin Nunez starting against Bologna and Diogo Jota on the bench.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Robertson, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold

Subs: Jaros, Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Jones, Gakpo, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah, Morton, Bradley, Nyoni

The line-ups will be announced in just under 10 minutes, but here’s a reminder of the early team news.

The Reds have Alisson back and have three potential absentees as a result. Harvey Elliott is definitely out, while Federico Chiesa has suffered a muscular injury that could rule him out until the international break. Darwin Nunez, who missed the weekend game through illness, is the other doubt.

Lewis Ferguson, Oussama El Azzouzi and Tommaso Pobega are the three likely absentees for Bologna.

The Italy international has a muscular problem that means he will sit out Wednesday’s game against Bologna and makes him a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

Manager Arne Slot believes it will be a particular blow for Chiesa, a £10m summer signing from Juventus, to miss a match against against a team from his home country.

A “big Champions League night” that ended up being quite a nice run-out for Arsenal. Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain looked less a sportswashing project and more a youth project. The level of superiority in this 2-0 win is again to Arsenal’s credit, but should also be a worry for Uefa.

This was one of the big-name fixtures that the new Champions League was sold on – more games between the best, more fixtures, more, more, more – and yet it didn’t really feel like either side treated it as a match of much consequence. It was a world away, say, from 2000-01 when Lyon came to North London and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal absolutely knew they had to do something.

If it is by now becoming tedious to read about these issues, it is worth remembering that such themes only arise because very little of consequence happens on the pitch. Here, in just the second of eight games, Arsenal got the win that already puts them more than halfway to the top 24.

The Reds to record another home victory against a side struggling to match their own exploits of last term. 

LIV – Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Jota

BOL – Skorupski, Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis, Freuler, Aebischer, Urbanski, Orsolini, Castro, Ndoye

The Reds have Alisson back and have only two potential absentees as a result – Harvey Elliott, who is definitely out, and Darwin Nunez, who missed the weekend game through illness.

Lewis Ferguson, Oussama El Azzouzi and Tommaso Pobega are the three likely absentees for Bologna.