Preview of the Liverpool vs Lille game
Liverpool’s great season continues with their return to European competition, where Arne Slot’s side have a perfect record of six wins in six Champions League games so far.
The Reds are guaranteed at least a play-off place in the new league format and are top of the table with two games remaining.
Lille have also impressed, winning four of their six games to leave them eighth – but only two French teams have ever won at Anfield in a major competition.
Slot says he is not focused on reaching top spot in the table as no one knows if that would guarantee an easier knockout match at this point.
He said: “The most important thing is that we want to win a game when we go out.
We’re back! 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/a3kizqozJt
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 20, 2025
“With this new set-up you think the best thing to do is to end up in first place, but because it’s such a strange table, because every week, even if you play a team further down the table, it’s on Hardest thing is to play against this team If you finish as number one, you could play against them.
“I don’t look at the table in such a way that if you finish first you get the easiest team, because being at the top doesn’t mean you’re the best team. It’s impossible to say because of the strange format we have.”
Team news Liverpool vs Lille
Liverpool will again be without Portuguese striker Diogo Jota, who missed the Reds’ trip to Brentford.
We are working towards that #UCL MD7 👊 pic.twitter.com/IWqkVX89Nz
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 20, 2025
Jota came on as a substitute in the recent draw against Nottingham Forest and scored after 22 seconds, but has strained a shoulder muscle and will be out for several weeks.
Versatile defender Joe Gomez suffered a hamstring injury in December and is also out.
Liverpool vs Lille expected lineups
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
Lille: Knight; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Others, Gomes; Bakker, Haraldsson, Cabella; David
