Liverpool put in a truly perfect, faultless game against Leeds at the weekend, a win that was overshadowed by the most unfortunate of injuries to Harvey Elliott. I'm sure each and every one fan who reads this article will wish the lad the speediest of recoveries and a return to the field as soon as possible. Some 'Top Reds' (what an awful term), pundits and so called experts still believe that this team/squad do not have the capability to challenge for the major honors this season, but I saw no evidence of this on Sunday evening. Instead I saw the away end at Elland Road sarcastically chant 'The Reds have got no money but we'll still win the league'. To take a quote from a brilliant article by Dean Van Nguyen on the extremity of social media - 'Following a football club should be about ups and downs. Otherwise the ups wouldn't mean a thing'.

And so we have our first Champions League match of the new campaign, with a cracker of a tie against AC Milan in a Group of Death which also includes Atletico Madrid and Porto. Despite the enormity of the task, it will be another opportunity to demonstrate that we are not to be taken lightly this season. We are more used to meeting AC Milan in finals of the competition rather than the Group Stages, with perhaps our most famous victory being the 2005 Miracle of Istanbul, but this will be no less of an occasion at Anfield on Wednesday evening when the Kop welcomes the Rossoneri. Milan come into this game in good form, having won all 3 of their opening Serie A matches, scoring 7 and conceding 1, and so defensively they have been as solid at the back as Liverpool have been. They are making a return to the Champions League after a 7 year absence which seems outrageous for a club of their size and history, and so they are possibly considered the underdogs for this game. They have been successful in just one of their last 13 encounters with English clubs, but their last encounter with Liverpool was the 2007 Champions League final victory.

They have some familiar names in their squad, none more so than Zlatan Ibrahimovic who returned from injury off the bench at the weekend to score a goal against Lazio. However the aging Swedish star is unavailable for the game due to an injury picked up during that appearance and he will be badly missed by Milan. Former Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud will however be in contention after having recovered from Coronavirus, although he may find it difficult to displace Croatian Ante Rebic who provided both assists in the game against Lazio. At the back young English defender Fikayo Tomori has flourished alongside the more experienced Italian Alessio Romagnoli following his permanent transfer from Chelsea over the summer, but their partnership will no doubt be severely tested by Liverpool's front three. Another Chelsea loanee Tiemoue Bakayoko is doubtful for the match having come off injured at the weekend. Milan will likely adopt a 4-2-3-1formation, with Alessandro Florenzi, Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao playing behind a lone striker. 

Their manager Stefano Pioli has transformed the fortunes of AC Milan since taking charge in October 2019, with the team exhibiting signs of their glory years. Every player knows his role in their formation, and his vision will be a true test for Klopp to overcome tactically. 

But Liverpool have the solidity at the back, the experience in midfield and the ruthlessness up front to get revenge for that 2007 final defeat. A good start in the group stages could lessen the intensity of the November and December period if qualification to the knock-out stages can be secured early, and so 3 points will be the aim.

The Champions League is back, and it should be a cracking atmosphere.
Up the Mighty Reds.

Paul Collins

LFC Fanatic

Follow me on Twitter: @IrishRedDubai