Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield on Tuesday night as his Bayer Leverkusen team take on Liverpool in the Champions League league phase.
Alonso’s long-awaited Merseyside return arrives on Matchday 4 of the new format, with Leverkusen facing a Liverpool side that have won their opening three league phase encounters to sit joint-top of the table with Aston Villa.
The Bundesliga champions impressively beat Feyenoord and Milan in their first two games before drawing away at surprise-package Brest on Matchday 3. Their record is enough to have them in the top eight as the halfway point approaches.
Leverkusen will benefit from having an extra day’s recovery as they prepare for a daunting visit to Anfield under the lights. Alonso’s team were held by Stuttgart on home soil on Friday night, with Bayern Munich’s subsequent victory over Union Berlin meaning Leverkusen are already seven points adrift of Die Roten in the Bundesliga table.
Liverpool, meanwhile, continue to impress with Arne Slot at the helm. A come-from-behind 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday saw them climb to the top of the Premier League table following Manchester City’s defeat at Bournemouth. Slot’s Reds have lost just once in all competitions this term.
Hot stats:
Liverpool have won at both half-time and full-time in their last three home matches against Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions.
Both teams are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions and unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Liverpool’s only defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League came by a 4-2 scoreline in the second leg of the quarterfinals in the 2001-02 campaign.
Ibrahima Konate was forced off at half-time on Saturday after his arm was inadvertently stamped on by centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk, but the Frenchman alleviated fears over a prolonged absence on Sunday when he revealed that scans showed no fracture.
The defender is hopeful of playing on Tuesday, but Slot and his medical team might take a more cautious stance.
Liverpool are without Diogo Jota, Alisson and Harvey Elliott until after the international break, while Federico Chiesa has suffered multiple setbacks while attempting to recover from a muscle injury.
Alonso is hopeful that summer arrival Martin Terrier will be available for Tuesday’s game after the forward missed Friday’s stalemate with Stuttgart.
Nordi Mukiele picked up a thigh injury during Leverkusen’s previous outing and will be out until after the November break. Jeremie Frimpong will drop into a wing-back position to cover the Frenchman’s absence.
The visitors are also without Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian for this midweek fixture.
Predicted XIs
Liverpool’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Diaz, Nunez,Salah.
Bayer Leverkusen’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
