Welcome back to day two of the Champions League opening matchday! Today, Liverpool and Atletico de Madrid face off in one of the cagiest matches so far in the matchday. Both Liverpool and Atleti have experienced massive squad changes and overhauls over the summer, with club legends like Salah and Robertson leaving the Reds, Antoine Griezmann departing Atleti to venture in the MLS, and players like Kang In-Lee, Bradley Barcola and others joining Atletico de Madrid and Liverpool respectively. This match is particularly cagey for many reasons. Both sides have had a history in the Champions League, including the shell shocked Round of 16 exit delivered by Atleti in extra time, sending the Reds back home on a 4-2 aggregate score and taking the Rojiblanco to the quarters. In recent times, Liverpool won the league phase match at Anfield, with a Van Dijk last gasp header, and goals from Salah, Robertson following the brace from Llorente to cancel them out. Liverpool’s form in the Premier League has been a bit flat as Iraola gets adjusted to life at Anfield, following last gasp draws from the Reds against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Liverpool’s recent game in the league vs Ipswich Town ended with a 2-0 win with a Isak brace. Atleti on the other hand, has seen better form, following wins vs Malaga and a Sevilla that seems to have found its footing again. Goals from the likes of Alex Baena, Kang-In Lee and Ademola Lookman are some of the varied examples on how the Rojiblanco have started their season. This weekend however, they lost 3-0 away at San Mames to Athletic, which makes winning tomorrow at Anfield all the more important. Liverpool in the Champions League last season went out in the quarter-finals after a disappointing 2 leg performance vs PSG, with a 4-0 on aggregate loss in which the Reds failed to produce a single goal. Meanwhile, Atleti went all the way to the semi finals, beating Barcelona along the way in a cagey 2 leg victory that ended 3-2 on aggregate, following a 2-0 win away at the Camp Nou, and a 1-2 loss at home. Atleti then went out to Arsenal, losing at the Emirates to seal their fate 2-1 on aggregate. Liverpool will be expected to try and make Iraola’s Champions League managerial debut one for the history books, while Simeone’s Atleti will try and establish themselves as an early threat, and hopefully at the end, take home Atleti’s first title. Players to watch on the Liverpool end include Alexander Isak, joint highest English signing (only tied with Enzo Fernandez) at £125 million, who’s first season at Liverpool was riddled with injuries, but has slowly regained his footing as he scored a brace vs Ipswich over the weekend, and a goal vs Forest the matchday before. Players to watch on the Atletico de Madrid end include Alex Baena, who, similar to Isak, had a rough season to start life at Atleti after he transferred from Villarreal. This season, he has 4 goals and assists in 4 games, and seems to have provided a goal and assist in every game bar Atleti’s defeat to Athletic Club.