Refreshed and raring to go after a weather-enforced domestic postponement, Liverpool seek a sixth win from six in the 2024-25 Champions League when they travel to La Liga upstarts Girona on Tuesday.
Arne Slot's men saw their proposed Merseyside derby with Everton called off at the weekend as 90mph+ winds battered British shores, while their hosts were comprehensively seen off by Real Madrid in La Liga.
Match preview
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Hoping to cook up a storm in the final Premier League Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Everton and Liverpool both succumbed to Storm Darragh instead, as the historic meeting was pushed back to a later date while the nation grappled with gale-force winds and torrential rain.
While Slot's side must now likely work around another midweek fixture in 2025 when the derby is rescheduled, the postponement was far from the worst news for the Premier League leaders, who still hold an insurmountable lead over Arsenal and Chelsea at the summit of the Premier League table.
Indeed, the Reds could have done with a domestic breather in the wake of their engrossing 3-3 stalemate with Newcastle United at St James' Park, a result that snapped their seven-game winning sequence in all tournaments but kept Slot unbeaten away from home since he took the reins.
Looking at that draw from a positive perspective, Liverpool have now netted multiple goals in each of their last nine games in all competitions, a sequence that includes their merited 2-0 UCL success over Real Madrid on matchday five, which prolonged their 100% start to the revamped tournament.
Two points clear at the top of the 36-team table and already assured of a playoff place at the very least, Liverpool now endeavour to continue an Iberian resurgence; the Reds have won each of their last two Champions League games away to Spanish clubs after failing to triumph in any of the previous eight.
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Then again, Liverpool's previous jaunts to Spain have seen the Reds come up against more revered opposition than Girona, who have failed to replicate the astonishing sort of form that propelled them to a shock third-placed finish in the 2023-24 La Liga campaign.
With crucial cornerstones such as Artem Dovbyk, Savinho, Eric Garcia, Yan Couto and Aleix Garcia all jumping ship, Michel's new-look team have posted an indifferent set of results in the top flight, taking 22 points from 16 matches to occupy eighth position in the rankings.
Tuesday's hosts have also been given some harsh reality checks on their first-ever Champions League adventure, as while they strolled to a 2-0 success over Slovan Bratislava on matchday three, they have been conquered by Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and most recently Sturm Graz.
Girona's 30th-placed ranking would send them crashing out at the first hurdle, and Michel's side do not welcome Liverpool to their headquarters in tip-top shape; they suffered a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on Saturday after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by lower-tier UD Logrones on penalties.
However, the White and Reds did march to three home wins on the spin before Real Madrid made light work of them at the weekend, offering the home crowd a small crumb of comfort before their first-ever competitive meeting with Liverpool or any English team.
Team News
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Liverpool would have had to cope without Alexis Mac Allister for the Merseyside derby due to suspension, but the Argentine is also banned for this one after a totting-up of yellow cards in the Champions League - his domestic punishment will roll over to Fulham next Saturday.
Mac Allister will be one of seven Liverpool players absent for the tie with Girona, as Tyler Morton (knock), Federico Chiesa (illness), Diogo Jota (abdominal), Kostas Tsimikas (ankle), Ibrahima Konate (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring) will miss out too, but Alisson Becker (hamstring) has travelled and is in contention to start for the first time in two months.
Expect Curtis Jones to partner Ryan Gravenberch in a deeper midfield position with Mac Allister out of contention, while the indomitable Mohamed Salah will achieve a personal best assist tally in one UCL season should he set up a goal here; he already has four helpers in this season's tournament.
As far as Girona are concerned, they will have right-back Arnau Martinez available again after he served a European ban of his own in the recent loss to Sturm Graz, but they were dealt a crushing attacking blow in their final training session.
Former Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski sprained his ankle right before Michel's team wrapped up, so the hosting boss should field 38-year-old Uruguayan Cristhian Stuani at the tip of his 4-2-3-1 shape.
Key winger Viktor Tsygankov and one-time Manchester City midfielder are also missing due to adductor and calf injuries respectively, but young midfielder Jhon Solis has recovered from a sprain of his own and is available.
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; A Martinez, Lopez, Krejci, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu; Asprilla, Van de Beek, Danjuma; Stuani
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Gakpo
We say: Girona 0-3 Liverpool
There is no doubting who the fresher set of legs will belong to on Tuesday, where Liverpool should make the most of their weekend break to put Girona to the sword without a hitch.
The hosts are ruing the absence of critical attacker Tsygankov and have struggled to mix with the European elite this season, a theme that we cannot see changing against the UCL leaders.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
