PSV v Liverpool: Official announcement made ahead of Champions League clash
UEFA has announced Tobias Stieler will be the referee for PSV versus Liverpool in the Champions League.
Arne Slot has rung in the changes for the clash at the Philips Stadion (29 January), with Mohamed Salah among the notable first-team absentees in the Netherlands.
The match will be overseen by an all-German officiating team, as confirmed on the UEFA official website, with the Reds expected to name a heavily rotated side as only one point is required to be named winners of the league phase.
Liverpool to give opportunities against PSV
Although Liverpool have secured their automatic passage into the round of 16, there is still plenty of excitement ahead of Wednesday evening’s (29 January) clash.
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai have also been excluded from the travelling squad for a much-needed rest ahead of the weekend.
Therefore, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo, and, perhaps more importantly, Darwin Nunez will have the opportunity to impress Slot under the lights.
The travelling support will also be eager to see youth star Trent Kone-Doherty – he could bring “the X-factor” in his first call up to the senior side.
Whoever Slot chooses to start the clash will have their work cut out for them – referee Stieler has issued 26 yellow cards, three penalties and one red card in his last six matches.
Although from a Liverpool perspective, the clash is considered a dead-rubber, the itchy-fingered Stieler will ensure there are plenty of fireworks on the pitch, with many players out to prove a point to Slot in the Champions League.
In other Liverpool news, a new Reds Premier League title prediction has been made by a supercomputer.
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