Liverpool can confirm their place in the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday when they host French side Lille at Anfield.
The Merseysiders are first in the league phase and their 1-0 win against Girona on December 10 ensured that they maintained their perfect record of six victories from six, while Lille are eighth with 13 points and currently occupy the final automatic qualification spot for the round of 16.
Match preview
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Liverpool were fortunate to keep a clean sheet against Girona considering they faced eight shots from inside the penalty area and conceded nearly 1.25 xG, and it should be noted that they produced less open play xG than their Spanish counterparts that day.
The Reds are the only team in the Champions League to have triumphed in all six of their matches in the league phase, and they also boast the competition's joint best defence having conceded just once.
Arne Slot's team are already guaranteed a round of 16 playoff spot but need just one point more to secure one of eight automatic qualification spots, though they could lose their two remaining games and still advance.
The hosts are also six points clear of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League while having a game in hand after they defeated Brentford 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon while the Gunners dropped points against Aston Villa on the same day.
The Reds' form in the past weeks has been mixed given they have won two, drawn two and lost one of their five most recent outings, scoring nine goals and conceding on four occasions.
Though Slot's side have been held to a stalemate in two of their last four matches at home, they did win their prior nine at Anfield and are unbeaten at home in 13.
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Meanwhile, Lille beat Sturm Graz 3-2 in their previous Champions League clash on December 11, a game in which they squandered a 2-0 lead and only won thanks to Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's 81st-minute winner.
The visitors are third in Ligue 1 with 32 points after 18 matchweeks and occupy the league's final automatic qualification spot for the Champions League in 2025-26.
Boss Bruno Genesio's side have only been beaten once in their six fixtures in the Champions League and are undefeated in their last five in the tournament, winning four times in that period.
Les Nordistes are in fact unbeaten in their past 21 matches in all competitions, achieving victory on 12 occasions.
Lille have won two and drawn one of their three most recent games away from home and have not lost on the road since September 2024, a stretch of 11 matches.
Team News
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Liverpool's only confirmed absentee for Tuesday's clash is Joe Gomez, who will not return until early February.
It would be surprising if Slot risked the likes of Ibrahima Konate given his extensive injury history, so fans may see Wataru Endo partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence.
Diogo Jota is a doubt as a result of a knock and if he is not declared fit, then perhaps Luis Diaz will lead the forward line, flanked by Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa.
Harvey Elliott could be in line for a start in an attacking midfield role after his excellent cameo against Brentford, and he may be joined by Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch in the centre of the pitch.
Opponents Lille will be without defender Tiago Santos for the rest of the season, while centre-back Samuel Umtiti is set to miss out on action until late January.
Expect to see a backline consisting of Thomas Meunier, Bafode Diakite, Alexsandro Ribeiro and Ismaily play behind a double pivot of Benjamin Andre and Ayyoub Bouaddi considering midfielders Ethan Mbappe and Nabil Bentaleb are unavailable.
Genesio may field an attack featuring Mitchel Bakker, Remy Cabella and Osame Sahraoui behind striker Jonathan David given forwards Edon Zhegrova and Mathias Fernandez-Pardo have been ruled out.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Endo, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Elliott, Chiesa; Diaz
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Bouaddi; Bakker, Cabella, Sahraoui; David
We say: Liverpool 2-1 Lille
While Liverpool may look somewhat disjointed if they made changes to the XI that beat Brentford, their fervent home support should help them get over the line.
However, Lille will pose significant challenges on Tuesday considering their strong form of late, and they may frustrate the Anfield crowd at times, even if the French side eventually succumb to defeat.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
