7.03pm GMT
Jürgen Klopp has decried long and hard the demands placed on players during this hectic season so it’s no surprise that his team sheet reflects the number of players lost to injury and the concern to avoid any losing more. Several key players have been let on the bench as Liverpool start with a new-fangled defence and a weakened midfield and attack, though Mohamed Salah returns to the starting lineup. Liverpool’s fringe players have risen to most challenges so far and it will be highly impressive if, for instance, the two young Williamses and the let-back Tsimikas help beat a very attack-minded Atalanta side. And look at that bench: half superstars, half barely known.
Liverpool: Alisson; N Williams, R Williams, Matip, Tsimikas; Jones, Milner, Wijnaldum; Salah, Origi, Mané
2.01pm GMT
Hello. You know a team has a deep squad and exceptional manager when they continue to dominate despite being decimated by injuries. Liverpool are joint-top of the Premier League and have won every match in their Champions League group so are without conceding a goal. All they have to do to confirm their place in the knockout stages and make their two final group games redundant is beat Atalanta, whom they walloped 5-0 in Bergamo earlier this month.
Chances are it won’t be so emphatic this time round, since Atalanta have their pride to restore, and their own qualification hopes to rekindle. And they can actually take heart from parts of the first match between the sides, since they created several chances to score, only to be denied by Alisson and imperfect finishing. That said, there’s a sense they’re still reeling from that drubbing, as they haven’t won a match since. Their 0-0 draw at Spezia last weekend ended a run of scoring in 16 consecutive away games in Serie A. Winning at Anfield would be a heck of a way to get back in the groove.
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