Florian Wirtz.placeholder image
Florian Wirtz. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
How Liverpool line-up against Real Madrid for the Champions League fixture at Anfield.
Arne Slot has made just one change for Liverpool’s Champions League showdown against Real Madrid at Anfield.
Florian Wirtz returns to the Reds’ starting line-up as he faces his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who is now in charge of Madrid. Wirtz played a major role as Leverkusen were crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time in the 2023-24 season - without losing a game domestically.
Wirtz joined Liverpool for £100 million in the summer transfer window, with Alonso - who won the Champions League as a Liverpool player in 2005 - took the reins at the Spanish giants.
Wirtz has endured a soft launch to his Reds career but has shown his best form in Europe, recording two assists in the 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt. The Germany international replaced Cody Gakpo on the left flank from Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa last weekend.
It means that head coach Slot unleashes a new-look attack from the outset. Hugo Ekitike continues to spearhead the attack, with Mo Salah - who scored his 250th goal for the Reds when opening the scoring against Villa - on the right-hand side and Dominik Szoboszlai featuring in the No.10 position.
Andy Robertson keeps his berth at left-back over Milos Kerkez. As expected, Alexander Isak is absent because of injury along with Alisson Becker and Jeremie Frimpong. Curtis Jones is back among the substitutes after a groin issue, though.
Liverpool have won two of their three games in the league phase of the Champions League so far and are aiming to take a step cloer to qualification to the knockout stage.
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Van Dijk, Konate, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Bradley, Ekitike, Robertson, Gravenberch.
Subs: Woodman, Misciur, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha
Continue Reading