Liverpool’s 2025/26 season has been an unmitigated disaster. After romping to the Premier League title last season and forking out over £350m in transfer fees last summer, many expected the Reds to be the dominant force both domestically and continentally this season. Unfortunately, however, things haven’t panned out that way.
Arne Slot’s side currently sits in fifth place in the table, long removed from title contention, with online betting sites also making them outsiders to simply finish in the top four. The latest odds from this high-quality Canadian online casino and sportsbook currently make Liverpool an 11/10 shot to secure a spot in the top four, with current occupants Aston Villa considered more likely.
The Champions League had provided a welcome respite from the Merseyside outfit’s domestic woes. The Reds finished third in the initial league phase, securing safe passage through to the round of 16, where they would overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit to defeat Galatasaray 4-1 on aggregate after a stellar performance in the second leg at Anfield. In the quarters, however, they have run into one of their recent continental nemeses.
So, who are Liverpool’s apparent bogey teams on the continental stage? Let’s take a look.
Paris Saint-Germain
A year ago, Liverpool were the favourites to progress past Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, setting up an all-English quarterfinal opposite Aston Villa, a clash which they would have also been favoured to win. Those odds swung even further in the Reds’ favour when they somehow managed to leave the Parc des Princes with a scarcely believable 1-0 win, despite being dominated for the vast majority of the contest.
In the second leg, however, the would-be Premier League champions’ luck ran out. Ousmane Dembele would secure the Parisians a 1-0 win on the night, forcing a penalty shootout in which giant Italian shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma would once again thrive. He saved from both Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to hand his side the victory, and 12 months later, the French giants can’t stop inflicting pain on Liverpool.
The two clubs were drawn together in this season’s Champions League as well, and once again, it has been the Parisians who have dominated. Goals from Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured a 2-0 win for the reigning European champions, and truth be told, it could have been far more.
Real Madrid
Before 2010, Liverpool continually got the better of record 15-time European Champions Real Madrid. The Reds famously beat Los Blancos in the 1981 European Cup final in Paris, a defeat which remains the side from the Spanish capital’s most recent final defeat. The Merseysiders would also reign supreme in a 2009 quarterfinal under Rafa Benitez, winning 5-0 on aggregate after blistering displays from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, both home and away.
However, since then, it has been all Real. The two clubs met in the group stages in the 2014/15 season, with Los Blancos winning home and away courtesy of three goals from Karim Benzema and a Cristiano Ronaldo strike. But even worse Liverpool pain would lie in wait.
The two giants of the European game met in two finals in four years in 2018 and 2022. On both occasions, it was Real who emerged victorious. A stunning overhead kick from Gareth Bale helped the Spaniards to a 3-1 win in the first of them in Kyiv; four years later, Vinicius Jr. scored the only goal as Real reigned supreme in Paris, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois the hero of the hour after making a record ten saves.
There have also been two knockout round ties between the two teams in recent years, both of which Real won. They triumphed 3-1 in a 2021 quarter-final, before also winning 6-2 on aggregate in a round of 16 clash two years later. It’s safe to say that no team has had Liverpool’s number more than Real Madrid in recent years.
Atletico Madrid
Real aren’t the only Spanish team that Liverpool have struggled against continentally. Hell, they’re not even the only team from Madrid.
Atletico Madrid have also been a thorn in the Reds’ side over the years, especially in knockout ties. The first dagger blow was struck back in 2010, albeit in the Europa League rather than the Champions League. Rafam Benitez’s men were gearing up for an all-English final against Fulham after the Cottagers’ fairy tale run. However, Diego Forlan had other ideas. The former Manchester United striker netted twice in the second leg at Anfield, the second coming in the dying embers of extra time to send Los Rojiblancos through.
A decade later, Atleti would also end Liverpool’s reign as European champions in similarly dramatic circumstances. Liverpool would famously win the Champions League in 2019, defeating Spurs in the Metropolitano – Atletico’s home stadium – to claim the trophy. The following season, the Reds were the favourites to defend the crown, but Diego Simeone’s side would once again have other ideas.
Atletico won 1-0 in the first leg in Madrid. Liverpool won 1-0 in the second leg at Anfield, forcing extra time. And it was there that Atleti would sink the dagger. The Reds actually took the lead on aggregate four minutes into the additional period after Roberto Firmino’s goal, but a brilliant quickfire brace from Marcos Llorente silenced Merseyside. Alvaro Morata would add another at the death, ensuring that Atleti progressed and that their perfect record against Liverpool in European knockout fixtures remained intact.
