Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield
- Bayern have won only one of their seven matches in European competition against Liverpool
- Bayern have not scored a single goal against Liverpool at Anfield in three games
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 19 consecutive European matches at Anfield
- Robert Lewandowski will attempt to find the net in a fifth consecutive game
LIVERPOOL vs BAYERN MUNICH
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Matip, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Mane, Firmino.
Bayern Munich XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Hummels, Sule, Alaba, Martinez, Thiago, Gnabry, James, Coman, Lewandowski.
Twitter round-up
Andrew: Tonight’s game is the battle of the full-backs. Four very attack-minded players who are key to their side’s style of play. Do they stick to what they know, or play it more cautious in a knockout first leg?
Shane: Massive week. Will really determine our season. 2 wins & we are rolling. Sign of the work Klopp has done that Liverpool fans can look forward to weeks like this.
Alan: With Virgil gone, it will be a tough game. With Messi out of shape it will difficult for Barcelona. And yes as a grown man you can have two teams.
No you can’t, Alan. No you can’t.
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
The opposition
19:25: Time to take a closer look at Bayern Munich’s domestic form. It’s quite strange to be focusing on this given the fact they’ve usually won the Bundesliga by now…
Following a mixed start to their Bundesliga campaign, which saw two defeats in the opening seven matches and questions asked of new boss Niko Kovac, Bayern have hit a good run of form of late to put them right back in the title race.
Nine points adrift of Borussia Dortmund this time last month, the defending champions in Germany are now only two points behind, albeit having played a game more than the league leaders.
Bayern are not at their imperious best, however. They were beaten by Bayer Leverkusen this month and taken to extra time by Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal before twice having to recover from a goal down to see off Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday night.
On a completely separate note, doesn’t that fella in the picture below look like ‘Don Neto’ from Narcos: Mexico.
If you haven’t seen it on Netflix… what have you been doing?!
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
Toughest draw
19:20: Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac says Liverpool were the toughest side his team could possibly have drawn – but still things Bayern will get a result.
“I want to say once again we are playing tomorrow against an opponent where it is the most difficult draw,” Kovac said.
“If you look at what Liverpool did in the Champions League last season, and what they are doing in the Premier League this season, then you have to say it is the most difficult draw that there is.
“The atmosphere will definitely be good, but I’m sure my players have gone through a lot of big games with great atmospheres, so that’s not an argument that we shouldn’t be able to compete tomorrow.”
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
Something’s gotta give
19:15: Bayern Munich have scored at least two goals in each of their last eight away games in Europe (W6 D2 L0), but the Bavarians have failed to score on each of their previous three visits to Anfield (D2 L1).
Twitter round-up
Prince: There’s only one way to play with this makeshift defence. Play pressing, attacking and free-scoring as we did so well before the arrival of VVD. We have to forget about defending tonight.
Jim: Fabinho’s third game at centre-half, and the third different partner he’s had alongside him. He was excellent at Brighton alongside vDijk, and played with Lovren at Wolves in the cup. Tonight he is alongside Matip.
Francis: Bayern not the side they were but what they have is very promising young players. Give them 1 or 2 seasons and they’ll tear Liverpool apart. Sadly, as a fan they’ll be battered 4-0 tonight.
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
Elsewhere…
19:05: Anfield isn’t the only ticket in town tonight folks. There’s also a tasty clash between Lyon and Barcelona over in France.
The usually free-scoring Catalan giants drew three games in a row before battling to a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid on Saturday, scoring only four goals across the four games.
I suspect that will change tonight.
Lyon XI: Lopes, Dubois, Marcelo, Denayer, Mendy, Traore, Ndombele, Aouar, Terrier, Depay, Dembele.
Barcelona XI: ter Stegen, Nelson Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez, Dembele.
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
It’s not personal – Jurgen Klopp
19:00: Yeah right!
The German was engaged in many a battle with Bayern during his tenure as Borussia Dortmund boss from 2008 to 2015, in which his side finished twice as Bundesliga champions and twice as runners-up behind the Bavarians.
Klopp’s Dortmund were also beaten by Bayern in the 2012/13 Champions League final.
“I don’t feel like this. Obviously a couple of people called me in the last few days to say in Germany it’s going mad because of this game, but that’s how it is,” Klopp said. “Making kind of these personal battles out of it I don’t understand.
“Yes, I was manager of Dortmund and had a bit of success there, but it was always difficult to play against Bayern. To beat them was the biggest challenge you could face in German football, always.
“I don’t see it like a personal thing for me.”
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
Team News – Hendo starts
18:55: Captain Jordan Henderson returns to Liverpool’s midfield for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
The England international replaces James Milner, with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming in for the suspended Virgil Van Dijk.
That means a reshuffle in defence, with midfielder Fabinho set to line up alongside Joel Matip. Former Bayern winger Xherdan Shaqiri is only fit enough for the bench after an abdominal injury.
Just one change for Bayern Munich with Javi Martinez coming in for Leon Goretzka.
Twitter round-up
Irfaan: Decent line-up. And expected. Just the blip in defence but Fabinho has looked solid enough there. The rest should be fine. The nerves are killing me!
Tim: Probably the strongest line-up we can put out tonight. Bayern will 100% be going for away goals, hopefully able to catch them on the counter!
Ally: So much on here about how we’ll get thrashed tonight just because Virgil Van Dijk isn’t playing! Stop the negativity and support the team tonight!
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: TWITTER)
The starting XI…
18:45: Roberto Firmino starts! Jurgen Klopp’s selection is exactly as expected with Fabinho starting alongside Joel Matip.
Elsewhere Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold replace James Milner and Virgil Van Dijk.
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Matip, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Mane, Firmino.
Subs: Mignolet, Moreno, Milner, Lallana, Shaqiri, Origi, Sturridge.
Bayern Munich XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Hummels, Sule, Alaba, Martinez, Thiago, Gnabry, James, Coman, Lewandowski.
Subs: Ulreich, Ribery, Rafinha, Davies, Mai, Sanches, Shabani.
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: GETTY)
Early team news
18:40: As you’ll probably know, Liverpool are down to the bare bones at the back. Love a tongue-twister.
Moving swiftly on, Liverpool are without suspended Virgil van Dijk, with fellow centre-back Dejan Lovren a doubt with a hamstring injury.
So it looks like Fabinho will start at the back alongside Joel Matip.
Roberto Firmino wasn’t involved in training yesterday having come down with a virus… but reports suggest the Brazilian will be involved tonight.
PL or UCL…
18:35: Would you rather win the Premier League or Champions League? That is the question Jurgen Klopp was asked in the build-up to tonight’s clash.
And his answer may surprise you.
“It’s difficult for me to answer the question, but if you would have to decide, for all Liverpool fans it is the Premier League, that is clear, we know that,” Klopp.
So what do you guys think of that? Let me know with a comment at the bottom of the page or by using the hashtag #ExpressSport.
Twitter round-up
Tom: Bayern need to go back to Germany no more than one behind to have a chance in my opinion. Liverpool might be more dangerous in the second leg…
Charlotte: Come on Redmen! Massive this! How we would love a win and a clean sheet! Let’s give these the massive Anfield European night crowd!
Dan: At Anfield tonight for the Bayern game. I’m very nervous and had van dijk been playing I would probably be more confident. Two very good attacking sides with defensive issues leading into the game. 50-50 game for me.
Get off the fence, Dan!
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: REUTERS)
For the record…
18:25: For the record… Liverpool have history on their side tonight.
Bayern have won only one of their seven matches in European competition against Liverpool and that was in 1971!
They’ve also not scored a single goal against Liverpool at Anfield in three games.
Liverpool win in the acct then, right?
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: GETTY)
Evening…
18:20: Buzzing for this one? Of course you are!
Liverpool are finally back in Champions League action with a doozy of a last-16 fixture against Bayern Munich.
Or Fußball-Club Bayern München, to give them their full title…
Liverpool’s loss to Real Madrid last May was the second Champions League final disappointment for manager Jurgen Klopp.
In 2013, his Borussia Dortmund team suffered heartache at the hands of Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley following a late strike from Arjen Robben.
Time for some overdue revenge? I think so…
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich: Champions League score, goals and updates from Anfield (Image: GETTY)
LIVERPOOL vs BAYERN MUNICH
Liverpool look set to have Fabinho in central defence in the absence of suspended Virgil Van Dijk, while there are doubts over Roberto Firmino.
Van Dijk must serve a one-match ban and – with there having been no sign of Dejan Lovren (hamstring) in training on Monday and Joe Gomez (broken leg) still out – midfielder Fabinho is poised to be deployed alongside Joel Matip at the back in the Champions League last-16 first leg at Anfield.
Forward Firmino was also not involved on Monday, due to a virus, and will be assessed. Winger Xherdan Shaqiri, a former Bayern player, could make his return to action after missing the 3-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth because of an abdominal injury.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and central defender Jerome Boateng are unavailable.
The pair were not included in the squad that left for England, with Ribery staying in Munich after becoming a father, and Boateng nursing a stomach virus.
The Bavarians will also have to wait to determine whether winger Kingsley Coman will be able to play after picking up an ankle injury on Friday.