Liverpool will open their Champions League account in exciting fashion through a home tie with French giants Paris Saint-Germain, with star forwards Mohamed Salah and Neymar clashing with each other for the first time.
Jurgen Klopp's side will host the French champions at Anfield in the first leg of their Group C clash , with the second leg to be played at the Parc de Princes at the end of November.
The Reds will be looking to recover from the heartbreak of losing last season's final to Real Madrid with their current campaign, but fixtures against PSG are only one hurdle in their challenging group stage campaign – set to face the likes of Napoli as well as Red Star Belgrade in one of many 'Groups of Death'.
| Game | Liverpool v PSG |
| Date | Tuesday, September 18 |
| Time | 8pm BST / 3pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game will be shown on Univision and TNT USA and livestreamed on B/R Live.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision, TNT | B/R Live |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport 2 and livestreamed through BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 2 | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Liverpool players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Alisson, Mignolet |
| Defenders | Alexander-Arnold, Clyne, van Dijk, Lovren, Moreno, Robertson, Matip |
| Midfielders | Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Milner, Keita, Mane, Henderson, Lallana, Shaqiri |
| Forwards | Firmino, Salah, Sturridge, Origi, Solanke |
Roberto Firmino's eye injury sustained during the win over Tottenham has kept him from starting, with Daniel Sturridge taking the Brazilian's place in the lineup. It's the first Champions League start for Sturridge since March 2012.
Jordan Henderson has been drafted into midfield with Naby Keita dropping to the bench, while Dejan Lovren is still missing with an extended injury.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Sturridge, Salah, Mane.
| Position | PSG players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Areola, Cibois |
| Defenders | Silva, Kimpembe, Kehrer, Meunier, Alves, Bernat, Kurzawa |
| Midfielders | Diarra, Nkunku, Rabiot, Marquinhos |
| Forwards | Mbappe, Cavani, Neymar, Di Maria, Choupo-Moting, Draxler |
Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is suspended for the tie against Liverpool after being given a three-match European ban following his comments against Michael Oliver during Juve's Champions League tie with Real Madrid last season.
Marquinhos moves into a central midfield role alongside Adrien Rabiot, while Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are back in the lineup after being rested at the weekend.
PSG XI: Areola; Meunier, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Marquinhos, Di Maria, Rabiot; Mbappe, Neymar, Cavani.
Betting & Match Odds
Liverpool are priced at odds of winning 13/10 according to bet 365 , while a draw is available at 14/5. A win for PSG is up for 21/10.
Match Preview
Both Liverpool and PSG head into their Champions League clash sporting exactly the same domestic form, with the two sides having registered five wins from five fixtures in their respective leagues.
Klopp's side have maintained their best start to a Premier League season with their five-game winning streak, their most recent victory coming through a 2-1 away win at Wembley to Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool have been named as a strong contender as a title challenger this season after the high-profile additions to their side this summer that saw Alisson, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri arrive on Merseyside, though they have a tough set of fixtures lying ahead – with fixtures against Chelsea (twice), Manchester City and Napoli looming after their PSG tie.
Depending on Firmino's eye issue, there is a chance for Shaqiri to be included in the squad, prompting Salah to be moved into a more central role, though Klopp also has the ability to call upon the services of Daniel Sturridge, who had an extremely fruitful pre-season campaign.
PSG will be keen to bounce back from their disappointingly early exit in last year's Champions League at the last 16 stage, crashing out at the hands of eventual champions Real Madrid.
Edinson Cavani is still recovering from a calf injury sustained during the World Cup finals in Russia , though PSG will be eager to unleash both Mbappe and Neymar onto Liverpool - though the two sides seem relatively matched in attacking threat.
