Alexander Isak makes his Liverpool debut tonight against Atletico Madrid as the Reds begin their Champions League campaign at Anfield.
The £125m record signing, who arrived from Newcastle United on deadline day, was left out of the squad for Sunday’s 1-0 win at Burnley as manager Arne Slot said the Sweden international would need time to get up to speed.
But Isak comes straight into Slot’s starting line-up as the Premier League champions aim to get their European campaign off to a winning start.
Arne Slot’s team have won all four of their Premier League matches this term but they have been reliant on late goals with Sunday’s victory over Burnley coming in the 95th minute.
In comparison, Atletico have won just one of their four LaLiga matches this season and Diego Simeone will be hoping to spring a surprise at Anfield tonight.
Follow all the team news, build-up and latest updates with our live blog below
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Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid live
- Liverpool host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League | Live on TNT Sports
- Alexander Isak starts for Liverpool and will make debut at Anfield
- Atletico have won just one of their four La Liga matches this year
- Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
- Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan,Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Gonzalez, Raspadori, Griezmann
Arne Slot explains his Liverpool line-up and talks Alexander Isak debut
19:19
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Jamie Braidwood
The Liverpool boss has been speaking to TNT Sports before tonight’s match against Atletico Madrid.
“This was the plan all along. That’s why he wasn’t involved against Burnley, so he could get a training week. That’s what you get in pre-season as well. Then you get 45 minutes, 60 minutes. That’s the plan.
“Everything is possible. Alex and Hugo can [play on the left], Cody shows you can play on the left even when you are tell. Hugo can become a second striker, but I believe both of them are more No 9s than another position.”
Liverpool and Atletico Madrid's infamous 2020 clash at Anfield
19:15
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Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have history in Europe.
Tonight will be the seventh time these teams have met in the Champions League.
The Reds won both meetings in the 2022/23 group stages, winning 3-2 in Madrid and 2-0 at Anfield as Simeone’s side finished with 10 men in both games.
But perhaps the most infamous occasion where Liverpool faced Atletico was in the 2019/20 last-16, when the Reds came into the match as European champions.
Atletico won 4-2 on aggregate, after extra time, but the match is best remembered for the fact it went ahead just days before the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.
Isak makes debut on big night for Liverpool's full-backs
19:09
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Richard Jolly
Liverpool will get a first glimpse of what £125m buys them. Alexander Isak makes his debut. Arne Slot has said he will not play 90 minutes but he does start, for the first time this season after he opted out of playing for Newcastle.
It is, though, also a significant night for another summer signing with the fit-again Jeremie Frimpong returning at right-back. Notably, on the left, Milos Kerkez drops out, after struggling so far. It has felt only a matter of time before Andy Robertson came into the side.
No Julian Alvarez for Atletico Madrid
19:05
,
Jamie Braidwood
Julian Alvarez didn’t travel to Liverpool and isn’t involved for Atletico Madrid tonight - but Diego Simeone names a strong team that includes Antoine Griezmann, Conor Gallagher and his son Guiliano.
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan,Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Gonzalez, Raspadori, Griezmann
Subs: Musso, Esquivel, Sorloth, Martin, Molina, Pubill, Seidu,Belaid, Ruggeri, Hancko, Koke.
Alexander Isak makes Liverpool debut as Arne Slot makes three changes
19:02
,
Jamie Braidwood
Isak replaces Hugo Ekitike, who drops to the bench after a bright start to his Liverpool career. It means Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo keep their places.
Alexis Mac Allister is only fit enough for the bench so Dominik Szoboszlai comes into midfield to partner Ryan Gravenberch, allowing Jeremie Frimpong to return to right back.
Andy Robertson replaces Milos Kerkez and starts for the first time this season in the only other change from Sunday’s 1-0 win over Burnley.
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid team news: Alexander Isak makes debut!
18:51
,
Jamie Braidwood
Alexander Isak starts for Liverpool!
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Bradley, Leoni, Ekitike, Danns, Ngumoha.
Team news is IN for our Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid #UCL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 17, 2025
Diego Simeone shrugs off absences as Atletico plan another Anfield heist
18:45
,
Jamie Braidwood
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone hopes to hurt an "extraordinary" Liverpool at Anfield - a stadium he loves.
The Argentinian has won one and lost one of his previous visits to the ground as Atleti's manager.
But for this trip he has five first-team players missing, including former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez with a knee injury.
"We need to look on the positive side. We play against an extraordinary team, in a magnificent stadium and a coach who took the team to the top level," said Simeone.
"They competed very well in the Champions League and won the Premier League and we have a tough opponent to face.
"They are direct, they have very quick transitions, they interpret the game in a very simple way to get players into the box, they use their wide players and they have a wonderful centre-back who can knock the ball around.
"This simplicity of the game is something that maybe some people don't see, how hard they work, how good their footballers are and their manager did wonderful, extraordinary things last season.
"We will face a tough opponent but we have the intention of bringing the game to where we want it to go. I am looking at getting better, playing a fantastic opponent in a stadium I love.
"We will try to hurt them in the game tomorrow whenever we can."
Focus on Atletico: is there pressure on Simeone?
18:25
,
Jamie Braidwood
Atletico Madrid arrive at Anfield having won just once this season, with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Villarreal offering Diego Simeone some respite after defeat at Espanyol and draws against Elche and Alaves.
Simeone has entered his 15th season in charge of Atletico but he hinted he would have been under pressure had they failed to win any of their first four games of the season. It’s also been five years since Atletico last won a trophy.
“I was happy when we won,” he said afterwards. “Today, winning is a relief, you understand? A relief. And I don’t like that. But that’s the responsibility I have.”
Arne Slot slams ‘pundits that favour other clubs’ in defence of Liverpool’s £450m summer spending spree
18:05
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Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot launched an impassioned defence of the club's unprecedented summer transfer activity after taking a swipe at criticism from "pundits that favour other clubs".
The deadline-day capture of Alexander Isak for a British record £125million took their spending to £450m on eight players, all aged 25 or under and viewed as an investment in the club's long-term future.
That headline figure has understandably attracted a lot of scrutiny but Slot was keen to point out it was not reckless spending as they recouped over £250m in sales, having spent just £10m the previous summer.
"There is so much focus on our new signings, especially from pundits that favour some other clubs in the country that cannot stop talking about £450m. I repeat, £450m, £450m! But they forget about (nearly) £300m that we have sold for," said Slot.
Arne Slot defends Florian Wirtz after start to Liverpool career
17:45
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Jamie Braidwood
Arne Slot defended Florian Wirtz’s start to his Liverpool career by saying there is unfair focus on the German international, who is yet to score or make an assist in his first four appearances for the Reds.
“There’s so much focus on Florian, but the ones that have stayed behind still in the team haven’t scored four goals or 12 assists as well,” Slot said ahead of facing Atletico.
“He’s been part of a team that is on top of the league and that won four games. He’s part of the team that won against Newcastle, that won against Arsenal, where the team last season didn’t win away at Newcastle and didn’t win at home against Arsenal.
“It’s the way you want to look at it. Yes, he hasn’t scored four goals or 12 assists in four games - but for me, that’s down to the quality we faced. He’s part of a team that is number one in the league at the moment.”
Virgil van Dijk on Alexander Isak's first two weeks at Liverpool
17:25
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Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has said Alexander Isak has looked “very good” in training as the striker prepares to potentially make his debut tonight against Atletico Madrid.
“Very eager, obviously the quality has been shown already from the first session – I was still on international [duty but] from what I’ve heard and seen,” Van Dijk told a press conference.
“So yeah, only positive and off the pitch as well we have conversations. I spoke to him during the international break when everything was sorted and for him obviously it’s about about getting as fit as possible as quickly as possible, getting to understand each one of us as quickly as possible – how we train, how we press, set-pieces.
“It’s been a good week for him. Let’s see tomorrow.”
Arne Slot looks to lessons of Champions League history as Liverpool chart new way forward
17:05
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Richard Jolly
They are the captain and manager of a team who won the Premier League last year and who have made a 100 per cent start to the current season, but, as Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot reminisced, it was about Champions League setbacks.
Perhaps that is the mentality of winners: that they remember the defeats more than the wins.
Alexander Isak set to be included in Liverpool squad
16:45
,
Jamie Braidwood
“He's in the squad. The chance to play, I would usually say 99.9 per cent sure but I can say 100 per cent sure he will not play 90 minutes but he's part of the squad.
"It's already a Champions League game to look forward to but if people look forward to his playing time that could mean that could happen tomorrow as well.”
“The only thing we’re sure of is he will not play 90.”
Arne Slot confirms Alexander Isak involvement for Atletico Madrid clash
16:34
,
Jamie Braidwood
Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak will be in the squad for Liverpool’s Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, but is “100 per cent sure” he will not play 90 minutes.
Isak joined Liverpool in a British-record £125m deal on deadline day, bringing an end to the saga of the summer that saw the Swede go on strike at Newcastle.
The striker has yet to feature for the Reds having not played club football since the end of last season and was not in the matchday squad that scraped victory over Burnley on the weekend.
Slot, however, has revealed that there is a strong chance that he will make his debut against Atletico.
What is the Atletico Madrid team news?
16:33
,
Jamie Braidwood
Atletico will be without forward Julian Alvarez as he continues to recover from the discomfort that forced him off during their last LaLiga match against Villarreal. Atletico had an injury nightmare against Villarreal as all four of Alvarez, Nico Gonzalez, Robin Le Normand and David Hancko were forced off. Thiago Almada, Jose Maria Gimenez, Alex Baena and Johnny Cardoso were also not fit to travel.
What is the Liverpool team news?
16:33
,
Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool’s £125m man Alexander Isak could make his hotly-anticipated debut after being left out of the squad the scraped past Burnley, but it will likely be off the bench as he continues to work towards match fitness.
Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister looks to be a doubt after being forced off with an ankle injury, which could cause Dominik Szoboszlai to move back into midfield while Jeremie Frimpong returns to the starting XI.
On the other flank, Andy Robertson will likely begin the game after Milos Kerkez’s early removal at Turf Moor.
When is Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid?
16:32
,
Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid kicks off at 8pm BST.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the game on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with coverage starting at 7pm BST. Subscribers can also watch the game on discovery+.
Good evening
16:32
,
Jamie Braidwood
Premier League champions Liverpool will look to continue their 100 per cent start to the new campaign, even if unconvincing, as they take on Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener.
Arne Slot’s heavily-strengthened Premier League champions have four wins from four but have been reliant on late winners, with Mohamed Salah’s 95th-minute penalty at Burnley on the weekend the most fortuitous of them all.
They will nevertheless be eyeing a seventh European title this season and will look to emulate their league phase exploits of last term, which saw them win seven from eight and top the table.
Atletico, meanwhile, have endured a tough start to the season but will be buoyed by their first LaLiga win on Saturday, beating Villarreal to put an end to a three-match winless run.
