Liverpool will secure automatic progression to the last 16 of the Champions League if they beat Qarabağ in their final league phase outing.
The Reds have saved their best performances for Europe this season and will aim to conjure another successful night under the Anfield floodlights on Wednesday. Victory guarantees a top-eight finish but dropped points will leave Liverpool reliant on results elsewhere.
Conquering Qarabağ will prove far from straightforward, the Azerbaijani side 18th in the standings and within touching distance of the playoffs, with injuries and absentees also causing major issues for Arne Slot.
Match Snapshot
- 🕒 Kick-off time: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
- 📍 Location: Anfield
- 🏆 Competition: Champions League
- 📊 Recent form: WWLWW
Team News
- ⚠️ Key injuries, absentees: Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1
Liverpool will definitely be without Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley in the defence, both missing for the rest of the season, and they could be joined by Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konaté on the absentee list.
Gomez was withdrawn due to injury in Liverpool’s 3–2 weekend defeat to Bournemouth, while Konaté has missed the previous two matches due to a family bereavement.
Federico Chiesa is a significant doubt, too, having missed the last two games, while Alexander Isak is still absent in the forward line after breaking his leg just before Christmas.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Qarabağ (4-2-2-2)
GK: Alisson—Alisson must be sick and tired of being left exposed by an underperforming defence and even a visit from Qarabağ will have him fearing a busy evening.
RB: Jeremie Frimpong—The Dutchman has been a bright spark during a difficult spell for the Reds and has been an important creative force in the final third—as evidenced in last week’s 3–0 win over Marseille.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—Liverpool desperately need Konaté following Gomez’s latest injury setback and it remains to be seen whether the defender will be available following the tragic passing of his father.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—The 34-year-old’s decline this season has been alarming and Saturday’s dire performance at the Vitality Stadium was another example of his falling standards.
LB: Milos Kerkez—Kerkez endured an afternoon to forget on his return to the Vitality, withdrawn at half time after some poor defending allowed Bournemouth to double their lead. Improvements are required midweek.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—Liverpool’s summer spending spree neglected their need for a new central defender and holding midfielder, with Gravenberch now forced to play almost every single game.
DM: Curtis Jones—Alexis Mac Allister produced another underwhelming display against the Cherries and could lose his place to Jones, who at least provides a spark in the engine room.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—One of few shining lights for Liverpool this term, the Hungarian did his best to spare his side’s blushes on the south coast with an assist and second free-kick goal in the space of three days. It still wasn’t enough.
AM: Florian Wirtz—The German continues to show glimpses of his quality and is one of few sources of creativity in a Liverpool forward line that is also underperforming. The Reds need his magic against Qarabağ.
ST: Mohamed Salah—Despite an impressive Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Salah has failed to deliver on his return to Liverpool. Questions over his performance levels remain despite rumours of a January exit having fizzled out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool XI vs. Qarabag: Slot to Make Ekitike Call—Injury News, Lineup Prediction.
