Liverpool will be facing Scottish Giants Rangers in an all-British encounter for their next Champions League Fixture.
Liverpool hosts Rangers in Group A of the Champions League on Tuesday. And they will be attempting to make it two victories in a row in Europe.
The visitors cannot afford another loss if they want to stay in the competition because they have already lost both of their opening games.
Liverpool vs Rangers: Preview
Liverpool’s 2-1 victory against Ajax last month was their sole victory in their previous four games played in all categories. Jurgen Klopp may be glad to have a European encounter coming up when Rangers visit Merseyside in the middle of the week.
The Reds overturned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday. However, the Reds were unable to hold on to the advantage as Leandro Trossard struck his hat-trick late in the game.
Liverpool now has just two victories in their first seven league games of the year due to the draw. But they will try to catch up to Napoli in Group A by defeating Rangers on Tuesday.
Klopp will want six points from their two games against the Scottish Premiership and Europa League runners-up. Rangers certainly represent the weakest club in the group since Napoli and Ajax will be facing off back-to-back in the following two matchdays.
A team that has been winning football games as infrequently as Liverpool recently. Though, they cannot afford for any complacency to creep in ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, even though they might not need to perform at their peak levels to win.
Rangers’ current form
However, Rangers were brutal in their 4-0 away victory over Hearts at the weekend. The hosts were in trouble after Cameron Devlin was shown a straight red card after 39 minutes because Antonio Colak already had a hat trick.
After the break, Alfredo Morelos and former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent secured the victory. Although Giovanni van Bronckhorst will soon turn his focus back to Europe, where his team has struggled to make an impression this season despite a triumphant journey to the Europa League final the previous year.
However, this is Rangers’ first appearance in the Champions League group stage in 12 years. And it’s possible that the improvement in the caliber of the opposition has surprised everyone associated with the team. Group A is this year’s “Group of Death” for sure. And Rangers’ performance will give them a lot of boosts.
The Gers lost their first match 4-0 at home to Ajax before dropping their most recent match 3-0 to Napoli at Ibrox Stadium. The Italians were always the favorites to score after James Sands was sent off in the 55th minute for a bookable offense.
A journey to Anfield is not ideal for a squad that has yet to earn its first point in the competition. But if van Bronckhorst’s team performs to their typical level of intensity, their lethargic opponents may find it difficult to handle their intensity.
Team News
Due to a knee injury, Scotland’s Andy Robertson will miss the game. Andy grew up rooting for Rangers’ toughest rivals, Celtic. However, he could return to Liverpool’s lineup for the weekend’s trip to Arsenal.
Ibrahima Konate was missing from the Reds’ matchday squad against Brighton. But he is already back in training. And he might not be playing at this early stage of his knee injury recovery.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are still out with long-term injuries. Therefore they were left off of Liverpool’s Champions League roster. Curtis Jones, Calvin Ramsay, Kaide Gordon, and Caoimhin Kelleher are all likely to miss out.
Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Harvey Elliott all offer offensive alternatives to freshen things up. This is likely to be a very busy October for the 2018–19 European Champions. And Klopp is certain to make at least a few changes to his starting XI from the weekend.
Sands took a red card against Napoli. And he must serve a one-match suspension. He will not be traveling with Rangers. And former Liverpool center-back Ben Davies will likely partner Connor Goldson in the defense.
Colak might be replaced by Morelos in the attack to add more dynamism and link-up play. And Steven Davis is likely to be used in midfield due to his knowledge and calm demeanor when in possession.
Due to injuries, Kemar Roofe, Tom Lawrence, Filip Helander, Jon McLaughlin, Nnamdi Ofoborth, Ianis Hagi, and John Souttar are unlikely to travel to Merseyside.
Liverpool’s possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Elliott, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Diaz
Rangers’ possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic; Lundstram, Davis, Jack; Tillman, Morelos, Kent
Some Facts
Liverpool and Rangers face up in Europe for the first time ever, regardless of the competition.
Rangers have only won once in seven away games played in England for European competition (D2 L4). They went on to defeat Leeds United 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round in November 1992 on goals from Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist.
In the 1980–81 season, Liverpool beat Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen 5-0 on aggregate in their penultimate European Cup matchup (1-0 away, 4-0 home). The Reds ultimately won in the match that year.
What Anfield Home predicts?
Rangers seem to lack the talent to compete effectively in Group A, so Liverpool should be able to let fly against them.
Having had a rough start to the season, Klopp’s team currently lacks confidence. But Tuesday’s match might begin a long road to recovery. And we predict that Liverpool will win 3-0 against them.
