Liverpool aiming for Champions League glory as Arne Slot issues battle cry
Liverpool will kick off their Champions League campaign on Wednesday against Atletico Madrid.
Arne Slot had a previous confrontation with Diego Simeone, with the two not set to face off at Anfield as the Reds look to continue their winning run.
Atletico Madrid will be without Julian Alvarez against Liverpool, amid a defensive crisis for the visitors.
But the Spanish side still represent a difficult task for the Premier League champions, with Simeone’s side winning 3-2 at Anfield in 2020.
Arne Slot is expected to drop Milos Kerkez against Atletico Madrid, after the defender was hooked before half-time on Sunday against Burnley.
Arne Slot aiming for Champions League glory
Slot looked to emulate Paris Saint-Germain’s attack at Liverpool this season, with the Reds going all out in the transfer market.
Alexander Isak was bought for £125million, Florian Wirtz for £116m, and Hugo Ekitike for £69m to form what could well be one of the most dangerous attacks in Europe.
And that is not to mention Mohamed Salah, who is coming off the back of arguably the best season of his career so far.
Slot did not want to just emulate the PSG’s attack, however, he wants to emulate their achievements.
| Liverpool’s Champions League group stage opponents |
| Atletico Madrid (H) |
| Galatasaray (A) |
| Eintracht Frankfurt (A) |
| Real Madrid (H) |
| PSV (H) |
| Inter (A) |
| Marseille (A) |
| Qarabag (H) |
The French club won the Champions League for the first time in their history last season, alongside Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the Trophee des Champions, before losing the final of the Club World Cup.
Liverpool will now believe they have built a squad capable of competing on all fronts in a similar way, and Wednesday’s Champions League tie will be among the first steps towards that.
Of course, Liverpool have already won Europe’s top competition six times, but for Slot, the trophy lies among those he is yet to get his hands on.
Atletico Madrid will be first major Champions League test
Slot wrote to the Liverpool fans in the club’s programme for the match, and told them: “I know it is very early in this season’s Champions League with another seven group games to go after this fixture but I don’t think it could ever be too soon to have a special European atmosphere at Anfield, especially as our fans know better than anyone else how much of a difference they can make.”
The Dutchman’s feelings are clear. The visit of Atletico Madrid will mark what is the start of what Liverpool hope will be a special Champions League campaign.
As with anything, the start is always important. Slot will hope Wednesday’s game can set a tone for the rest of the season.
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