Xabi Alonso heads to his former club in midweek as Bayer Leverkusen travel to Merseyside to face Liverpool in the Champions League.
Last season the German Bundesliga side swept almost all before them as they sealed a domestic double, falling short only in the Europa League final. They’ve not been quite as relentless this term so far, winning four of their nine games and sitting fourth in the table, but they have taken seven points from three games in Europe and will present formidable opposition for the Reds.
Under Arne Slot, though, it has been a near-perfect first campaign for the Anfield club. A turnaround win over Brighton at the weekend put the Reds top of the Premier League with eight wins from ten – and they have a 100 per cent record in Europe too after beating AC Milan, Bologna and RB Leipzig already.
Triumph over Leverkusen now and their Champions League-winning former midfield playmaker Alonso, and Slot’s side will be all but through already to the knockout stages in the new year.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game.
When is the match?
Liverpool v Leverkusen kicks off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 5 November.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video. Subscribers can stream the game on the Prime Video app across any device or compatible smart TV.
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What is the team news?
Liverpool remain without long-term absentees Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott. Federico Chiesa isn’t expected to feature until after the international break and Ibrahima Konate may not be risked after injuring his hand at the weekend, though he has said he shouldn’t miss any matches because of it.
Leverkusen are missing Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian but Martin Terrier should be fit. Nordi Mukiele needs a fitness test ahead of the game.
Predicted lineups
LIV – Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Diaz
B04 – Hradecky, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie, Frimpong, Xhaka, Garcia, Grimaldo, Wirtz, Terrier, Boniface
Odds
Liverpool 3/4
Draw 10/3
Leverkusen 18/5
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Prediction
A hard-fought game but a high-quality one, with the home advantage for the Reds proving enough to edge them to three points. Liverpool 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen.
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