REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Liverpool and Man United begin their Champions League campaigns at home this week, although their opening assignments look very different.
The Reds welcome Atlético Madrid to Anfield on Wednesday night for Andoni Iraola’s first European match since taking charge.
REUTERS/David Klein
Liverpool finally collected their first Premier League win under the Spaniard last Friday, with Alexander Isak scoring twice in a 2-0 victory at Ipswich Town.
That result followed draws against Brighton and Crystal Palace and gave Iraola a timely lift before Diego Simeone brings his experienced Atlético side to Merseyside.
New signing Bradley Barcola could also make his first Anfield appearance after coming off the bench at Portman Road.
||
|Liverpool's summer signings — 2026|
|Player|Nationality|Previous Club|Fee|
|---|
|Bradley Barcola|France|PSG|£123m|
|Jeremy Jacquet|France|Rennes|£60m|
|Víctor Muñoz|Spain|Osasuna|£34.5m|
|Lucca Brughmans|Belgium|Genk|£30m|
|Ifeanyi Ndukwe|Austria|Austria Wien|£2.6m|
|Ronald Araújo|Uruguay|Barcelona|Loan|
Atletico will provide a sterner examination, with Simeone’s team bringing the organised defensive approach and counterattacking threat that have defined much of his long reign in Madrid.
United then return to the Champions League against Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Michael Carrick’s side are back in Europe’s leading competition for the first time since the 2023/24 season after finishing third in the Premier League last term.
REUTERS/Cathal Mcnaughton
United will want a more controlled display after surrendering the lead twice in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Everton.
Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko scored at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck in stoppage time to deny the visitors all three points.
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Sabah are making their Champions League debut and have already negotiated four qualifying rounds to reach the league phase.
The meeting will also be United’s first competitive fixture against opposition from Azerbaijan.
Sabah earned their place after eliminating The New Saints, KuPS, Aarhus and Hapoel Be’er Sheva, making the fixture a landmark night for a club founded in 2017.
While Liverpool and United prepare for Europe, recruitment work behind the scenes is already stretching far beyond the immediate campaign.
Liverpool rivalling Man United for Tornike Kvaratskhelia with contact made
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Both clubs have reportedly made contact over a possible future move for the 16-year-old younger brother of PSG star Khvicha, Tornike Kvaratskhelia.
TEAMtalk and Graeme Bailey report that a host of other Premier League sides have also registered their interest in the Dinamo Tbilisi winger.
However, Liverpool and United are not currently described as the leading contenders for his signature.
Bayern Munich are said to be at the front of the queue after inviting Kvaratskhelia to train at their academy during the summer. Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed that the teenager had spent time at the club and featured in a youth friendly.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, Kim Min-jae and Leon Goretzka with teammates before the match
Chelsea and Tottenham are believed to be showing the strongest interest from England, while Arsenal and Newcastle are also aware of his progress.
Kvaratskhelia has risen through Dinamo’s academy and has already been introduced to senior football despite only turning 16 in February.
His surname will inevitably attract attention because of Khvicha’s success, but the younger is still at the beginning of his own career.
When Liverpool or Man Utd can sign Kvaratskhelia
REUTERS/Phil Noble
Like his brother, Tornike operates mainly from the left and represents Georgia at youth level.
Any Premier League move remains a long-term prospect because English clubs cannot bring him across from Georgia before his 18th birthday under rules governing international transfers involving minors.
That means Liverpool and United are laying early groundwork rather than attempting to complete an immediate deal.
There is no reported bid, agreement or final decision at this stage, and Bayern’s previous access to the player may prove significant as the process develops.
For now, the teenager remains with Dinamo while some of Europe’s biggest recruitment departments continue to follow him.
Liverpool and United have major Champions League business to handle first, but their contact over Kvaratskhelia shows that planning for future windows never stops.
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