Although they are the current holders of the Champions League trophy, Liverpool are looking to end a run of defeats away from home in the competition. The Reds succumbed to three away defeats in the league last season and they were subjected to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Serie A giants Napoli this term.
Jurgen Klopp’s side currently sits in second place in Group E of the Champions league table, one point adrift of table-toppers Napoli, same points with Red Bull Salzburg in third and two points above their rivals Genk. Ironically, Liverpool have had an impeccable record in the Premier League this season having won all their games and they’d be hoping to bring on the same form in Europe.
Meanwhile, Genk are no push-over even though they have been dubbed as underdogs for this game. They staged an impressive game to draw against Napoli after suffering defeat to Salzburg in their Champions League opener. This game between Liverpool and Genk will be the first meeting of the sides but taking a swipe at the Champions League odds reveals the Reds have the edge to bag the three points at stake.
These are three things we expect to see from Liverpool
Key players to be back in action after injury lay-offs
The Reds currently have a chunk of their players sidelined with various injuries but Klopp recently provided a positive update, per Liverpool Echo.
Allison Becker has been out of action since the start of the season being banjaxed with a calf injury but he’s returned to full training. Although Klopp wants to ease the player into his starting XI, he is certain to be part of the party to travel to Belgium for the game. Meanwhile, Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah are back in contention as well after suffering injuries in the league games against Sheffield United and Leicester City respectively.
Squad Rotation inevitable
Klopp will likely tweak his team to avoid fatigue and manage the fitness of his players properly. They take on Manchester United in a league game just after the international break before travelling to Belgium. The league title has eluded them for about 29-years and there is the general belief that they have made it their priority for this season. We expect to see the German manager field his best players against United but one or two of his second-team players will likely be given the nod to start against Genk.
Divock Origi may not celebrate a goalÂ
Origi is a product of the prestigious youth system of Genk. He played there for nine years before moving abroad to Lille in France in the summer of 2010.
He moved to Liverpool in the summer of 2014 but his stock at the club grew last season after scoring some deciding goals for his team in the Champions League. You find most players not celebrating goals they scored against their former clubs as a mark of respect not rule, and we expect the same from him given his time at Genk.
