 | 2 – 0 |  |
It was hard to see a Liverpool flick in this match, and Midtjylland were the underperforming opponents in all aspects and manager Jurgen Klopp could take the opportunity to give one or two of his star names a break, but the home side still had to have enough to win two games from two games in Group D.
Watch on BT Sport 3 21:00 PM Tue 27th Oct
Liverpool are not starting this season really well. After five EPL games, Liverpool have only 10 points with three wins and one draw. Although the results were not very convincing, with a season of uncertainty with both manchester city and Chelsea competing, Liverpool still have a safe distance from these opponents, liverpool’s chances of defending the Premier League title this year are still very much. In the next match, Liverpool will play at home and host the weakest opponent in Group D, FC Midtjylland – the rookie team of this year’s UCL. With his current form, it will not be too difficult for Liverpool to take all three points in this match.
Liverpool hope to have Thiago Alcantara again after he was unable to play against Sheffield United on Saturday due to injury – a testament to Richarlison’s red card in the Merseyside derby. Joel Matip was also absent at the weekend but could return for this match, although Fabinho’s form at centre-back has been encouraging since Virgil van Dijk was ruled out for what is likely to be the rest of the season. Van Dijk’s absence was also somewhat eased by Alisson Becker’s early return against Sheffield United. Naby Keita is also pushing for a return in this match, but Kostas Tsimikas and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain sidelined. Mohamed Salah will make his 50th Champions League appearance if selected, and he has scored nine goals in nine group games at Anfield, a brace in which he equalled Steven Gerrard’s record of 21 Champions League goals. Jota scored in his first Premier League game for the club at the weekend and therefore may have done enough to keep his place, which could see Klopp again using the 4-2-3-1 syng.
However, he may well see this match as a good opportunity to give one or more of his big-name stars a break, with Sadio Mane likely to top that queue with Jota’s form.
The away side are the lowest rated team in the group, FC Midtjylland understand that their chances of leaving even one point at home to Liverpool are relatively impossible. Even in the domestic league, they are still playing well with the top spot after the last six games. However, in European competition, FC Midtjylland are just a small team and they may not be able to compete with the rest of the league. The next match to march to the opponent’s field will be a very difficult match for them. Is this just an opportunity for them to learn and gain experience. An extremely strenuous challenge for FC Midtjylland’s ambition to go far and if he wants a point in this match perhaps FC Midtjylland need to play hard and wait for the lucky god to smile at him.
Midtjylland is expected to welcome Danish international Pione Sisto back into the starting line-up after he scored as a substitute in the return win over Brondby at the weekend. Sisto has scored three goals since returning to the club from Celta Vigo this summer, but he is yet to make his Champions League debut. Anders Dreyer was also on the scoreboard at the weekend and has experience playing English football in the past from his time at Brighton & Hove Albion, although he has never made a first-team appearance for the Seagulls.
Goalkeeper Jesper Hansen hopes to improve his unwanted Champions League record, having conceded 26 times in seven appearances in the competition so far – four against Atalanta in his opening game and 22 against Nordsjaelland in 2012-13. Manager Brian Priske really has some experience in England having faced Liverpool three times in a season with Portsmouth in 2005-06, despite losing all three of those games. Midtjylland have also won three of their past six meetings with English rivals, including a famous win over Manchester United in the 2015–16 Europa League. The Danish champions will also arrive at Anfield in a state of exhilarating mood, after a spectacular comeback against title rivals Brondby after being 2-0 down to a 3-2 win in the second half hour. However, Midtjylland have lost seven of their nine away games in European competition.
Predicted line-up
Liverpool: Alisson, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Gomez, Wijnaldum, Milner, Firmino, Mané, Jota, Salah
Midtjylland: Hansen, Cools, Scholz, Sviatchenko, Paulinho, Sisto, Evander, Mabil, Kraev, Kaba, Brumado
Leave a Reply