While Andoni shifts his lineup for Carabao Cup games, he does not usually do so for the Champions League. Therefore, he goes with a pretty traditional lineup with just a few changes from the last outing vs. Arsenal
Our predicted Liverpool starting XI vs Fenerbahçe
Since he is only making a few changes, it is almost a certainty that Liverpool will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation. The key battle will be in the midfield to see if the Reds can get the ball forward to the talented attacking players.
Predicted Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson, Ronald Araújo, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Dominik Szoboszlai, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo, Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak.
Predicted Liverpool XI · 4-2-3-1
#1 Alisson Becker (GK)
#33 Ronald Araujo
#4 Virgil van Dijk
#6 Milos Kerkez
#21 Konstantinos Tsimikas
#8 Dominik Szoboszlai
#42 Trey Nyoni
#73 Rio Ngumoha
#18 Cody Gakpo
#29 Bradley Barcola
#9 Alexander Isak
The author’s saved selection at publication.
Liverpool bench: Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Chiesa, Florian Wirtz, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Harvey Davies, James McConnell, Jayden Danns, Jérémy Jacquet, Joe Gomez, Joshua Sonni-Lambie, Lewis Koumas, Luke Chambers, Michael Laffey, Ryan Gravenberch, Wellity Lucky.
Key selection calls: Defence, midfield and attack
The differences I see here are Kostas Tsimikas coming in on the back and Dominik Szoboszlai in the midfield pairing with Trey Nyoni since Ryan Gravenberch is injured. The Core group played well against Arsenal, so why not keep them together at least to start the match? Some players like Bradley Barcola may have heavy legs, but if history is any indication, the top players start in the UCL and are subbed off after halftime if the game is in hand
Selection dilemmas and game-changers off the bench
Of course, the Reds could go with the opposite approach and start the young players, such as Lewis Koumas up top and bring Isak on if a goal is needed. The same could be said of several other positions all over the field. I would not be shocked to see players like James McConnel get some playing time.
LFC Globe Verdict and pick your starting XI
This is a bit of a toss-up, depending on Iraola’s approach. He could go with a younger Starting XI because Fenerbahce is near the bottom of the table, but UCL points are hard to come by and nothing has been secured yet as far as advancing to the next round. Therefore, I think the boss sends the best team to the pitch and makes subs as needed.
Have your say
Which approach do you think the boss takes? Drop a comment below.
Liverpool v Fenerbahçe: Match preview
Liverpool v Fenerbahçe: Match preview
LFC GLOBE
Liverpool 0–1 Arsenal: What we learned and Andoni Iraola reaction
Liverpool 0–1 Arsenal: What we learned and Andoni Iraola reaction
LFC GLOBE
Liverpool 0–1 Arsenal Player Ratings
Liverpool 0–1 Arsenal Player Ratings
LFC GLOBE