Liverpool and Atletico Madrid kick off their journey in the new edition of the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 with a strong match held at Anfield, as part of the first round of the group stage. This is the third encounter between the two teams in the last six seasons of the tournament.

Liverpool had triumphed in the last two matches between the teams during the group stage of the 2021/2022 season, winning away with a score of 3/2, and then repeating the victory at home with a score of 2-0. However, the historical advantage belongs to Atletico Madrid, which halted Liverpool's progress in the 2019/2020 season, eliminating them from the Round of 16 after winning 1/0 in Madrid and 3/2 at Anfield in the second leg.

Liverpool enters the match with an impressive record against Spanish teams in the group stage, having achieved four consecutive victories, including wins over Real Madrid and Girona in the previous edition. The team has also recorded 14 consecutive home wins in the group stage, scoring two or more goals in 13 matches, and keeping a clean sheet in nine of their last 12 encounters.

On the other hand, Atletico Madrid struggles against English clubs, having not achieved any wins in the group stage against Premier League teams, settling for four draws and four losses. They have won only once in their last eight matches against English clubs in the Champions League, with two draws and five losses.

Liverpool is embarking on its seventeenth season in the Champions League, having reached the final five times, winning the title in 2005 and 2019. They topped their group last season after achieving seven victories against one defeat, before exiting the tournament in the Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain.

Atletico Madrid is participating for the sixteenth time in the tournament and the thirteenth consecutive time, being one of the most stable teams in Europe under coach Diego Simeone. The team also exited the last edition in the Round of 16 after drawing with their neighbors Real Madrid over two legs, then losing in a penalty shootout.

The match is particularly anticipated for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who has scored 18 goals in his last 20 group stage matches, while German Florian Wirtz continues to make history, having scored 6 goals in his first 9 matches in the Champions League, becoming the first German player to achieve this milestone.

Atletico Madrid also enters the match with an impressive attacking record, having succeeded in scoring in 15 of their last 16 matches in the group stage, winning their last five matches in the same phase.