On September 17, 2025, Liverpool will play Atletico Madrid in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will start at 21:00 Central European Time. Let’s look at the facts and determine a potential winner for this exciting matchup.
Liverpool
Liverpool begins their Champions League campaign in strong form. They faced Crystal Palace in the Super Cup but lost in a penalty shootout. In the Premier League, they have won all four matches, earning 12 points with a goal difference of 9:4. Liverpool recently secured 1-0 victories against Arsenal at home and Burnley away.
Last season, Liverpool exited the Champions League in the Round of 16 after losing to PSG, the eventual champions. However, they performed well in the group stage, finishing first with 21 points from eight matches.
Against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, Liverpool has a solid record, winning three of their last four meetings and drawing once. In three of those matches, both teams managed to score.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid has had a challenging start to the current La Liga season. They lost their first match to Espanyol, followed by two draws against Elche and Alaves. They finally secured a convincing 2-0 victory against Villarreal in their last home match. Currently, they sit 11th in the league with five points.
Last season, Atletico Madrid finished fifth in their group with 18 points and were eliminated in the playoffs after a 3-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.
In their recent meetings with Liverpool, Atletico has struggled, losing the last three encounters. Their last victory over Liverpool was at home in 2020, and they have not won at Anfield yet.
Probable lineups
- Liverpool: Alisson, Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.
- Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri, Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Gonzalez, Griezmann, Alvarez.
Key facts and head-to-head record
- Liverpool have won seven of their last eight matches.
- Liverpool have won five of their last six home games.
- Atletico are unbeaten in five of their last six matches.
- Both teams have scored in three of Atletico’s last four games.
- Liverpool have won three of the last four head-to-head matches.
- Four of the last five meetings between these teams ended with under 2.5 goals.
Liverpool vs Atletico prediction
Liverpool enters the Champions League in excellent form and seems more confident than Atletico at this point in the season. While Atletico secured a notable win in their last match, their league performance has been inconsistent. Liverpool has historically performed well in their recent encounters. All indicators suggest Liverpool will be favorites at home in this group stage opener. My pick: Liverpool to win at odds of 1.63.