The Liverpool boss will lead a team into a Champions League fixture for the very first time this evening at Anfield
Andoni Iraola will manage in European competition for the first time when Liverpool face Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Champions League Match Day 1
Andoni Iraola will manage in European competition for the first time when Liverpool face Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Champions League Match Day 1
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Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola should harness the top-level European experience in his squad when picking the team for his first-ever Champions League match as a manager on Wednesday evening.
The Reds welcome Atletico Madrid to Anfield on Match Day 1, for what is Diego Simeone's fourth visit to Anfield in eight seasons and Iraola will be all too aware that his opposite number is vastly more experienced in the competition.
Los Colchoneros are time-served mainstays in UEFA's elite competition and will provide stiff opposition. For this reason, former Liverpool star Jason McAteer believes that Iraola must pick the most experienced team he can, and that involves rolling out the big names with the highest pedigree in Europe, including new signing Bradley Barcola.
Speaking to 10bet about the fixture, McAteer said: "There is truly nothing like Anfield on a European night. Liverpool are royalty in European football with six European Cups, and the fans buy into that history completely. Midweek under the lights, the flags, the anthem – the adrenaline pumps that much harder, which elevates player performances.
"For Iraola, who hasn't managed in European competition before despite getting Bournemouth there last season, having experienced winners in the dressing room is massive. He’ll need to lean on Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, and Barcola for their Champions League experience.
"Facing Diego Simeone and Atlético Madrid right out of the gate is a stern test in game management and the dark arts. Iraola will be desperate to get off to a winning start."
Anfield will be hoping for a perfect start to the new Champions League campaign after Iraola got his first victory on the board in the Premier League last Friday against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. But European competition is new ground for Iraola.
Last season, Liverpool were beaten by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain at the quarter-final stage, who successfully defended their title after eliminating the Reds in the Round of 16 on penalties in the previous season.
Expectations have had to be reset following the sacking of Arne Slot and the arrival of Iraola, but McAteer still give his old team an outside chance of winning a seventh European Cup this season.
He said: "You can easily play yourself out of a title race in the first 10 games, and if that happens, the focus immediately shifts to Europe. To answer directly: do I think they can win it? Yes, the quality is there. Do I think they will? Probably not this season, purely because Arsenal are in a much stronger, more settled position right now.
"Managing a club of Liverpool's stature is a completely different challenge for Iraola, and it’s a big learning curve alongside integrating new signings. But if they build confidence early, they have more than enough quality to mount a serious challenge on both fronts."