Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid: Champions League Season Opener

Liverpool’s Champions League season finally kicks off on Wednesday night, and it does so under the Anfield lights against familiar disruptors Atletico Madrid. New boss Andoni Iraola has his first major European selection call to make – and he’s already hinted the XI that beat Ipswich will not stay untouched.

Iraola’s press, Iraola’s rotation

The Basque coach wants Liverpool to play on the front foot, hunting the ball high and breaking with pace. That style is demanding. It needs fresh legs and brave decisions. So, after the win at Portman Road on Friday, Iraola made it clear: rotation is coming.

He even named names.

Jeremy Frimpong and Ronald Araujo were both flagged as players who will be “needed from the start” in certain games. Atletico at Anfield feels exactly like one of those nights.

Frimpong, left out against Ipswich, is suddenly right back in the frame. His energy and direct running down the flank suit Iraola’s aggressive press. Dropped at the weekend, he now looks well placed for a recall in front of the Kop.

Araujo to the middle?

At the back, there is a puzzle to solve. Jeremy Jacquet has started the season, but not finished games. The French defender has been substituted in Liverpool’s first two Premier League outings and was clearly running on fumes by the end of the Ipswich match.

That opens the door for Ronald Araujo to slide into the centre of defence alongside Virgil van Dijk. It’s a partnership that, on paper, oozes authority: Van Dijk’s reading of the game with Araujo’s aggression and recovery pace. Against Atletico’s streetwise forwards, that kind of steel could be essential.

Midfield shake-up on the cards

The churn is unlikely to stop in defence. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister may make way. Ryan Gravenberch is pushing hard to start and could be restored next to Dominik Szoboszlai, reuniting a pairing that offers drive, height and a punch from deep.

Trey Nyoni is another name edging closer to the team sheet. He has impressed from the bench this season, injecting energy and composure in tight spells. A Champions League start at Anfield would be a bold call, but Iraola has not shied away from trusting youth so far.

Isak leads the line

Up front, one decision is already made. Alexander Isak will lead the attack. Rested just after the hour against Ipswich, the Swede had already done the damage, scoring twice – his first brace in Liverpool colours. Sharp, ruthless, and now protected for midweek, he arrives at Atletico with confidence to burn.

The real intrigue lies around him. Cody Gakpo has started the season in form, with one goal and three assists, and his understanding with Isak is growing. The question is whether Iraola rides that wave or twists.

Bradley Barcola and Rio Ngumoha are both in contention to break into the front line. If the manager wants more raw pace or a different profile out wide, Gakpo could be the one to step aside despite his strong start. It would be a harsh call, but not an unthinkable one in a squad being reshaped on the fly.

Wirtz in the pocket, big calls elsewhere

Behind the striker, Florian Wirtz is set to keep his place “in the pocket,” the creative hinge of Iraola’s system. The German playmaker is being groomed as the key man for this new-look Liverpool, operating between the lines, slipping passes into runners and dictating tempo in the final third.

Not everyone will get their chance, though. Wataru Endo has been left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad list entirely, a significant early-season marker in the midfield hierarchy. Victor Munoz, meanwhile, could be given a breather, another likely victim of Iraola’s early commitment to rotation.

So Anfield awaits: Atletico Madrid, a fresh European campaign, and a Liverpool side already being bent into a new shape. Iraola has made it clear he will live and die by his principles. Now comes the real test – will this high-pressing, quickly evolving team be ready for the kind of night Atletico love to spoil?