With the Champions League draw for 2026/27 coming to a close for the league phase, Liverpool will be denied two specific matches for next season.
Andoni Iraola, Manager of Liverpool, reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC
Liverpool will be denied two specific matches next season in the Champions League(Image: (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images))
Liverpool will be denied two specific matches in the Champions League's league phase next season, should the Reds qualify for the competition once again.
It follows the draw for this campaign's contest, as Andoni Iraola prepares for his first taste of the top European competition with the Premier League outfit.
Since changing format, Liverpool has enjoyed relative success in the early stages, as the overall league table and expansion to eight games over the old group stages have brought about some improvement for the Merseyside outfit.
In the first year, the Reds finished top of the table, while the second year brought about a third-placed finish, though that success didn't count for much when it came to being knocked out in the latter rounds.
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Before considering the knockout rounds, however, there is still the task of qualifying through the league phase, with the draw revealing the eight teams that Liverpool will need to navigate past to get through.
Pot 1 brought about clashes with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, with the ties likely to be the toughest that the team faces during this stage of the competition.
FC Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, RC Lens, and LASK all await in the other matches from the rest of the pots, setting up some potentially favorable ties for the team, compared to those who could've been drawn.
While those matches bring about clarity for Iraola on what is ahead, it also confirms two matches that won't be on the cards for Liverpool next season, if the team qualifies for the Champions League again.
That being the match at home to Atletico Madrid and the clash away at Inter Milan. UEFA announced a new rule that states any match that has been played in successive seasons in the league phase won't be eligible to be played a third time.
The Champions League trophy
The Champions League trophy(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool faced Atletico Madrid at home last season, winning 3-2 in a chaotic encounter, as well as Inter Milan at the San Siro, which they won 1-0 courtesy of a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty.
With the exact same matches drawn again, Liverpool cannot host the Rojiblancos or visit the Nerazzurri in the 2027/28 league phase, should the team qualify for it again.
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That rule is the same one that has denied the Reds from hosting Real Madrid at Anfield this season, though a trip to the Bernabeu could have been drawn by the algorithm.
It's a decision that should allow for some fresh matchups between teams, with fears that the format could become stale if the same sides are constantly playing against each other in the same venues.
It remains to be seen how Liverpool will cope with the clashes against Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan this time around, following some tense encounters last time out.