Sport | Football

Reds looking to bounce back from first defeat under Arne Slot

Matt Verri1 minute ago

AC Milan vs Liverpool - LIVE!

Liverpool appoint new captain as exciting partnership comes together	Milan player caused Liverpool press conference chaos after manager told 'quit talking'	Ex-Liverpool and Spurs youngster reveals what made Liverpool more special

Liverpool make the trip to the San Siro to take on AC Milan tonight in what is a blockbuster start to the Champions League.

It is a new format for the expanded 36-team competition this season, with each side playing eight matches in the league phase, and only those finishing outside of the top 24 knocked out after those games.

Arne Slot’s side have been handed a fairly tricky fixture list, with Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen among the visitors to Anfield, and they come into tonight’s clash in Milan with confidence slightly dented.

It was a frustrating European campaign for the club last season, knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage and then beaten by Roma in the quarter-finals.

Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!

AC Milan vs Liverpool latest news

Kick-off: 8pm BST, San Siro How to watch: Amazon Prime AC Milan team news: Morata preferred to Abraham Liverpool team news: Gakpo starts; Chiesa on bench Standard Sport prediction New Champions League format explained2 minutes agoMorata: I can't wait to play for Milan in Champions League

Alvaro Morata leads the line for Milan tonight, and he spoke yesterday about the challenge facing his side against Liverpool.

This is his first Champions League appearance in a Milan shirt.

12 minutes agoIn the building!

For those of you who enjoy footballers looking very stern as they walk towards a dressing room, you’re in luck...

17 minutes agoTough set for Liverpool

Eight matches for each team in the league phase of the competition, which will go on until after Christmas.

Liverpool are at home to Bologna in their next Champions League match, before travelling to face RB Leipzig and then hosting Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.

It is then a blockbuster showdown with Real Madrid at Anfield in late November, followed by a trip to take on Girona.

In January, Liverpool face Lille on home soil, followed by their final match on the road against PSV.

Not the easiest of draws...

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

26 minutes agoFonseca: Liverpool will punish mistakes

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca has been full of praise for Liverpool in the build-up to this match, believing the Reds are one of the best sides in the competition.

“They are a great team - one of the strongest in Europe at the moment,” Fonseca said at his pre-match press conference.

“They have a very strong positional game and individual talents.

We will need to be a complete team in defence to attack them with stability.

"For me, at this moment, they are one of the strongest teams in Europe."

33 minutes agoElsewhere in the Champions League

So far, so good for Premier League sides.

Aston Villa are making their return to the Champions League tonight, away to Young Boys in their opening match.

Unai Emery’s side are 2-0 up after an hour, well in control of that match.

The hosts have done their best to help with some very generous defending...

37 minutes agoMorata gets the nod

It’s Alvaro Morata leading the line for AC Milan tonight.

That means Tammy Abraham has to settle for a place on the bench, along with former Tottenham right-back Emerson Royal.

Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao will be providing the pace out wide - can they get at Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas?

46 minutes agoAC Milan team news

Starting XI: Maignan, Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez, Loftus-Cheek, Fofana, Reijnders, Pulisic, Morata, Leao

Subs: Nava, Torriani, Okafor, Zeroli, Chukwueze, Royal, Bartesaghi, Terracciano, Gabbia, Abraham, Musah

48 minutes agoSlot makes changes

It has been an unchanged Liverpool side for the last three matches, but Arne Slot does tweak his lineup tonight.

Kostas Tsimikas comes in at left-back to replace Andy Robertson, while Cody Gakpo gets the nod over Luis Diaz in the front three.

Federico Chiesa makes the bench, who could be handed a debut tonight.

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

50 minutes agoLiverpool team news

Starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Gakpo.



1 hour agoAlisson hits out at busier schedule

Alisson Becker has called on football's authorities to speak to players about their welfare as the Reds prepare to start an expanded Champions League campaign.

UEFA's elite club-level competition now involves 36 teams, which means an extra two matches in a group stage which now does not finish until the end of January as opposed to mid-December.

The complaint about a packed calendar was usually one made loudly by former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp but Alisson has taken up the mantle and said the players are "tired" of the ever-increasing schedule.

“For the supporters, it is amazing.
For more news relating to Spurs, visit our sister site Spurs Latest Live.