Thiago and Steven Gerrard start together in midfield as Liverpool Legends host Dortmund in a charity match at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp back in the dugout!
Klopp has returned to Liverpool as assistant to Sir Kenny Dalglish for Saturday’s clash with Dortmund Legends in aid of the LFC Foundation.
With Anfield packed for a high-profile charity match, the starting lineup promises to bring back fond memories for those watching on.
Liverpool Legends: Dudek; Skrtel, Hyypia, Klavan; Wright, Biscan, Spearing, Aurelio; Gerrard, Thiago; Babel
Substitutes: Reina, Westerveld, Vignal, Kelly, Benayoun, Schillgard, Smicer, Riera, Sinama-Pongolle, Pennant, Gonzalez, Crouch, Dowie, Kuyt
Dortmund Legends: Weidenfeller; Dede, Owomoyela, Heinrich; Piszczek, Lambert, Grosskreutz, Schmelzer; Blaszczykowski, Zidan, Koller
Substitutes: Langerak, Lee, Leitner, Da Silva, Valdez, Petric, Riedle, Hummels, Kirch, Durm
Jerzy Dudek starts behind three centre-backs in Martin Skrtel, Sami Hyypia and Ragnar Klavan.
Stephen Wright, academy graduate and now LFC Foundation coach, and Fabio Aurelio are expected to play as wing-backs of sorts.
The spine of the midfield features Champions League winner Igor Biscan and U21s assistant Jay Spearing.
They should allow Gerrard and Thiago to operate further forward as the star attraction supporting striker Ryan Babel.
Liverpool’s all-star coaching team of Dalglish, Klopp, Ian Rush and John Aldridge will no doubt make changes throughout the day with 14 substitutes available.
Those include Pepe Reina, Peter Crouch, Albert Riera, Dirk Kuyt and former Women’s players Natasha Dowie and Louise Schillgard.
Reina is making his first Liverpool Legends appearance at Anfield, having only retired in May before going on to represent the Reds in another charity clash at Chelsea‘s Stamford Bridge in October.
A host of Klopp’s former Dortmund players start for the opposition, including Jakub Blaszczykowski, Lukasz Piszczek, Marcel Schmelzer, Roman Weidenfeller and Marcel Schmelzer.