Liverpool's Defence Faces Atlético Challenge at Anfield

Liverpool and Atlético Madrid meet again on Wednesday night at Anfield, a familiar European stage with very different storylines on both benches.

Last season’s Matchday 1 thriller finished 3-2 to Liverpool. This time, the hosts walk in with questions hanging over their defence and their creativity, while Diego Simeone arrives with scars from Bilbao but a clear plan to drag the game into his territory.

Liverpool still searching for balance

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool are nowhere near the finished product. Five points from their first three Premier League matches looks acceptable on paper, but the details tell a harsher story.

They conceded two goals in each of their opening two league fixtures, both ending in draws. The back line is still being stitched together on the fly. Ronald Araújo has been pushed out to right-back with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni sidelined, and the unit hasn’t yet settled into a reliable rhythm.

A 2-0 win at Ipswich eased some tension. It also reminded everyone what Alexander Isak can do when he’s fully fit. The Swedish striker struck twice inside nine minutes at Portman Road and now has three goals in three league outings this season. After an injury-hit debut campaign that yielded just four goals in 22 appearances, he finally looks sharp, aggressive, and decisive in the box.

Iraola’s options are still limited. Hugo Ekitike, Bradley and Leoni remain unavailable, while Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are not registered for Champions League duty. The expected XI leans heavily on technical quality in midfield and attack to mask the cracks behind:

Liverpool expected lineup: Alisson; Kerkez, Araújo, Jacquet, van Dijk; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Barcola; Wirtz, Gakpo, Isak.

The issue? For all that talent, Liverpool sit 19th in the Premier League for big chances created, with just four in three games. Brighton, by contrast, have carved out 15 over the same period. For a side boasting Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Isak, that’s an alarm bell.

Atlético smell vulnerability

Atlético arrive on Merseyside still stinging from a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao. The loss exposed an unsettled back line and raised doubts about their defensive structure. Yet Simeone’s team still sit sixth in La Liga with seven points from four games and, crucially, they know Anfield doesn’t intimidate them.

They won 3-2 here in 2019/20 and came back from 2-0 down at this ground last season. This is a fixture they understand: suffer, wait, strike.

Simeone is ready to freshen his attack. Julián Álvarez is set for his first start of the season, adding movement and edge to the front line. Cristian Romero is also pushing to make his first start since joining the club, bolstering a defence that needs authority after Bilbao. Álvarez is expected to stay at Atlético at least until the January window, and this feels like the night he’s truly unveiled.

There are absentees. Alexander Sorloth is out with a thigh problem and Arnau Ortiz is suspended, trimming Simeone’s options in forward areas. Even so, Atlético’s recent league form in front of goal is solid: seven scored in their last four games.

Atlético Madrid expected lineup: Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Giuliano Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Lookman; Baena, Álvarez.

The numbers suggest the market may be underestimating them. The implied probability of Atlético avoiding defeat sits at 46.5%. For a side that has repeatedly made life miserable for English opponents on this stage, that feels low.

Tactical trench war at Anfield

This isn’t shaping up as a wild European shootout. All the signs point towards a tight, attritional contest.

Liverpool’s chance creation has stalled, and they run into a system designed to suffocate space. Pablo Barrios and Morten Hjulmand will patrol the areas Wirtz loves to drift into, while Jan Oblak remains the calm, imposing figure behind Atlético’s line.

Simeone will happily slow the game, narrow the pitch and drag Liverpool into a grind. He has the tools to do it. His side can sit deep, absorb the pressure of Anfield, and spring Álvarez, Lookman or Baena into the gaps behind a Liverpool defence that has already shown it can be stretched.

At the same time, Atlético’s own defensive wobble in Bilbao opens the door for Isak. His current form – three in three league games, including that explosive brace at Ipswich – collides with a back line still finding its bearings. His Champions League record stands at just one goal in 13 appearances, but the way he is moving right now makes that feel like a statistic ready to be rewritten.

With the goal line sitting under 2.5 at an implied 42.2% probability, the expectation leans towards a cagey night. One mistake, one set piece, one moment of quality could decide it.

Liverpool’s defence is there to be tested. Atlético have the blueprint and the belief. The last time these two tangled at Anfield, chaos reigned. This time, will control – and Simeone’s iron grip on tempo – win the night?