2024-10-24 04:45:05
Liverpool weathered a late Leipzig storm to secure a 1-0 win on their travels in the Champions League. The Reds are still unbeaten in the European top-flight with three wins from their three matches and join Aston Villa on a maximum nine points.
There were two decisive factors in the game. The first was Darwin Nunez, a striker in desperate need of a goal. He popped up in the first half to get on the end of a headed effort from Mo Salah. Salah’s shot looked to be going in, but Nunez made sure and sent Liverpool ahead just moments after the hosts had had a goal disallowed.
The second factor was Liverpool’s deputy goalkeeper Coaimhin Kelleher. The Irishman had a superb outing making around six solid saves to deny a forward line containing Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons and keep a clean sheet under a late surge from the German side.
At time it wasn’t pretty but Liverpool managed the game well and got themselves over the line.
Relive the Champions League action with our live blog below:
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool LIVE
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REPORT: Arne Slot emulates Bill Shankly as Darwin Nunez goal proves decisive in close contest against Leipzig
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82’ DISALLOWED Openda has a second goal ruled out (RBL 0-1 LIV)
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72’ SAVE! Kelleher called into action to deny Sesko and Xavi (RBL 0-1 LIV)
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70’ CROSSBAR! Mac Allister strikes one from range and hits the bar (RBL 0-1 LIV)
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32’ SAVE! Gulacsi denies Nunez with a sharp stop (RBL 0-1 LIV)
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27’ GOAL! Nunez pokes home from close range (RBL 0-1 LIV)
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26’ DISALLOWED! Openda smokes one past Kelleher but is offside (RBL 0-0 LIV)
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15’ SAVE! Kelleher is drawn into a fine save after Haidara’s shot (RBL 0-0 LIV)
RasenBallsport Leipzig 0 – 1 Liverpool FC
Arne Slot emulates Bill Shankly as Darwin Nunez goal proves decisive in close contest against Leipzig
22:23 , Mike Jones
Darwin Nunez’s first-half goal was enough to earn Liverpool fc a 1-0 Champions League win at RB Leipzig as the outstanding start to Arne Slot’s reign continued in Germany.
Against a club that will soon become a concern of former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, Slot’s men set two new club records – the first Liverpool side to win their first six away games of a season and the first to triumph in 11 of their first 12 matches. Slot himself emulated Bill Shankly by winning his first three European matches as manager.
Nunez, brought into the starting XI in place of the injured Diogo Jota, delivered the winner in the 27th minute, poking home Mohamed Salah’s header, and a seventh clean sheet of the campaign made sure of victory.
Arne Slot emulates Bill Shankly as Darwin Nunez proves decisive against Leipzig
Reds up to second
22:12 , Mike Jones
Liverpool are just one of two teams to have won all three of their matches in the Champions League so far. The other is Aston Villa who currently sit top of the table due to a better goal difference from the Reds.
Liverpool sit second and Manchester City are third. The English teams are dominating this new phase so far.
Liverpool win in Leipzig
22:09 , Mike Jones
Here’s some photos from the game. Liverpool played well in parts but also have room for improvement.
Slot or Shankly?
22:08 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot has equalled the Liverpool legend Bill Shankly by winning his first three European matches as head coach. Replacing Jurgen Klopp was seen as a monumental task but Slot has taken to it in style.
Liverpool are living in dreamland.
Records broken
22:05 , Mike Jones
Liverpool’s victory makes it three wins out of three in the Champions League so far. It’s a wonderful start for Arne Slot who has won 11 out of 12 games.
This is a club record for Liverpool.
They have won their first six away matches this season for the first time in the club’s history.
Man City triumph over Sparta Prague
22:02 , Mike Jones
Manchester City also secure three points tonight with a brilliant outing. They scored five goals and defeated Sparta Prague in Manchester.
That makes it four wins from four for English teams in the Champions League this week.
‘Liverpool were disjointed’ says Warnock
21:59 , Mike Jones
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock spoke on MOTD: UEFA Champions League and claimed that Liverpool’s performance was ‘disjointed’ and they ‘got away’ with a win.
He said: “Along with the defeat by Nottingham Forest, that was the most disjointed Liverpool performance I have seen this season, but they got away with it.
“It will be interesting to see what Arne Slot says in his post-match interviews, because he is usually very honest about how well his team have played.”
Full-time! RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:53 , Mike Jones
90+5 mins: There goes the full-time whistle. Liverpool get the win and the points. It’s three wins from three for Arne Slot in Europe now.
A solid performance and a good win.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:47 , Mike Jones
90 mins: There’s five minutes of added time to play yet!
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:45 , Mike Jones
88 mins: Cody Gakpo wins a crucial free kick just inside Leipzig’s half and Liverpool attempt to take their time. They knock the ball back to Virgil van Dijk who belts it long.
The Reds maintain possession which is all they need at the minute.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:43 , Mike Jones
85 mins: Five minutes to go in Leipzig and Liverpool are under threat. The momentum is all with the hosts who look the most likely team to score again.
Liverpool are making more and more mistakes as the pressure ramps up. Can they see this one out?
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:41 , Mike Jones
82 mins: Disallowed!
Lois Openda has the ball in the back of the net once again but this one is ruled out too. Benjamin Henrichs gets into a forward position and cuts into the box.
He blazes a shot at goal forcing Kelleher to push a one-handed stop away. The ball drops to Openda who puts it in but a VAR check confirms he was ahead of the ball and the last defender.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:39 , Mike Jones
81 mins: Dominik Szoboszlai takes a shot from outside the box. He’d love a goal on his return to Leipzig but this one gets blocked by the defenders.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:35 , Mike Jones
78 mins: Xavi Simons goes down after an attempted clearance with the ball only going as far as Cody Gakpo. Gakpo checks to the right and shoots but laces the ball over the top.
Xavi looks in a bad way. He needs help getting off the pitch and is quickly subbed out for Yussuf Poulsen. It looks like an ankle issue for the forward.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:32 , Mike Jones
75 mins: Here come the changes from Arne Slot.
Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson are all introduced for Liverpool. Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez are the men replaced.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:30 , Mike Jones
72 mins: Save!
Liverpool are broken down after Konate loses the ball Arthur Vermeeren dribbles into the box and pokes a pass through to Benjamin Sesko who shoots but gets charged down by Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Liverpool goalkeeper is then forced into another stop with Xavi Simons shooting from range a minute or so later and the goalkeeper pushes this one over the bar!
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:27 , Mike Jones
70 mins: Crossbar! A quick interchange of passes between Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister sees the latter work the ball into space before striking a decent effort onto the crossbar!
That would have been a cracker.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:25 , Mike Jones
67 mins: As I post that Openda sprints in behind Ibrahima Konate and collects a through ball. He dances into the box and shoots but Konate manages to deflect it out of the play.
The offside flag spares Liverpool having to defend a corner but they can’t afford to switch off.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:24 , Mike Jones
66 mins: The tempo is slowing down which won’t matter much to Liverpool who have been the better side on the whole. Leipzig are seeing more of the ball but Liverpool’s defence is pretty strong.
Ex-players bemused after Darwin Nunez denied penalty for Liverpool in Champions League
21:17 , Mike Jones
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez poked in his second goal of the season during the first half of his team’s Champions League encounter with RB Leipzig – but rather than his goalscoring exploits, it was a potential penalty situation which had everybody talking about the Uruguayan on Wednesday night.
Restored to the starting lineup due to an injury to Diogo Jota, Nunez put in a typically hard-working display in the first 45 minutes, notching the opener from just two yards out after getting on the end of Mohamed Salah’s header.
But just a few minutes later, he thought he’d won his side a chance to go two goals clear from the penalty spot after he was clearly tripped by Willi Orban in the box, having beaten the Leipzig defender to the ball – only for the referee, Swiss official Sandro Scharer, to signal for a goal kick.
Ex-players bemused after Nunez denied penalty for Liverpool in Champions League
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:16 , Mike Jones
60 mins: Cody Gakpo clips a diagonal pass over to the right wing where Mo Salah collects the ball. He cuts inside and shoots but sends the effort high and wide.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:15 , Mike Jones
57 mins: Alexis Mac Allister takes a knock and stays down. There’s a few worrying moments as he needs a bit of treatment but he gets back on his feet and looks okay to play on.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:10 , Mike Jones
54 mins: That’s a decent set piece from Leipzig. They win a corner and play it short to Haidara. He floats in a cross but Kelleher comes off his line and plucks the ball confidently out of the air.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:08 , Mike Jones
51 mins: Kosts Tsimikas takes a hopeful shot from outside the penalty area but can only hoof the ball over the crossbar. Liverpool look a lot sharply and have settled into the second half.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:06 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Liverpool are pressing high up the pitch, trying to stifle Leipzig’s play and turn the ball over.
They do! The ball comes into the box anf Cody Gakpo is there to poke one at goal only for Peter Gulacsi to react quickly and keep it out.
Second half! RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
21:04 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig get the ball rolling for the second half.
HT RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:59 , Mike Jones
Here’s a clip of the Darwin Nunez goal. A proper poacher’s finish from the Liverpool No. 9:
HT RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:55 , Mike Jones
It’s been a really even match so far. Both teams have had six attempts at goal with Caoimhin Kelleher and Peter Gulacsi both having busy nights.
Darwin Nunez is the only one to get the ball in the back of the net (legitimately) but it won’t be a surprise if there are more goals in the second half.
HT RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:51 , Mike Jones
Half-time! RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:47 , Mike Jones
45+1 mins: The whistle goes to end the first half at the Red Bull Arena.
Liverpool take a slim lead into the break but Leipzig have had the ball in the back of the net. Liverpool have been a bit sloppy which means there are chances at both ends.
Everything could still change in the next half.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:43 , Mike Jones
42 mins: Tsimikas whips in another corner for Liverpool and sends it into the penalty area. Again Leipzig deal with it without too much trouble.
Haidara shoots from range and forces another low stop out of Kelleher. This is a good game.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:39 , Mike Jones
39 mins: There’s a VAR check for a potential Liverpool penalty. Darwin Nunez gets to a loose ball before Willi Orban and seemingly is clipped by the defender.
The check is over quickly and no penalty is the decision.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:38 , Mike Jones
36 mins: Alexander-Arnold lifts a forward pass over the top and picks out the run of Darwin Nunez who keeps the ball alive. He slides it back to Alexander-Arnold who dribbles past a couple of defenders then laces a shot into the box.
It takes big deflection and goes out for a corner.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:33 , Mike Jones
32 mins: Save!
Cody Gakpo dribbles into space on the wing and flicks a cross into the penalty area. Darwin Nunez leaps higher than anyone else and whips a header at goal only for Peter Gulacsi to palm the effort over the crossbar!
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
20:32 , Mike Jones
31 mins: Liverpool will settle down after that opener. They managed to open up their hosts and edge themselves into the lead. The majority of possession has been with the Reds who will want another goal to secure their lead.
GOAL! RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool (Darwin Nunez, 28 mins)
20:29 , Mike Jones
Poached!
Would you believe it. Just as Leipzig have a goal ruled out, Liverpool go up the other end and score themselves. The cross is whipped over from the left and finds Mo Salah.
He heads a great effort to the back post where Darwin Nunez peels off his marker and pokes it home to make sure the ball crosses the line.
Liverpool lead.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:27 , Mike Jones
26 mins: Disallowed!
What a goal this would have been. Lois Openda makes a dart in between the two Liverpool centre-backs as Xavi Simons sends through the ball.
Openda spins with his first touch to face Caoimhin Kelleher and then smokes a rocket past the Liverpool goalkeeper only to get ruled offside immediately!
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:26 , Mike Jones
24 mins: Liverpool have controlled more of the ball but Leipzig are pretty comfortable trying to defend. Dominik Szoboszlai looks for something different and lifts and cross over to right wing where Mo Salah is running into space. #
The pass is just too heavy though and Salah can’t bring it down.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:23 , Mike Jones
21 mins: Liverpool have been quite loose and sloppy in possession meaning it’s been relatively simple for Leipzig to turnover the ball and attack them.
The hosts have created the better chances so far and Arne Slot has a furrowed brow on the sideline as he watches on.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:20 , Mike Jones
18 mins: Oh close!
Kelleher comes off his line and needs to use his head to clear the ball from the edge of the box. His clearance only gets as far as Benjamin Sesko who goes for goal with an open net facing him.
The angle is tight and he whips a curling effort towards the bottom corner but just sends it round the far side of the post.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:15 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Benjamin Sesko makes a good run down the right channel and gets slipped into the box. Ibrahima Konate does well to track back with him and prod the ball out for a corner.
Leipzig take it short and work the ball to the edge of the box where Amadou Haidara runs onto a first time shot and draws a sharp, low save out of Caoimhin Kelleher!
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:13 , Mike Jones
12 mins: The first yellow card of the game came a few minutes ago after Castello Lukeba crunched Dominik Szoboszlai in the middle of the pitch. A warm welcome back to Leipzig for the Liverpool midfielder.
Alexis Mac Allister leaps over an outstretched leg as he attempts to come through the middle of the pitch. He hits the ground and the referee decides that he dived.
Mac Allister goes in the book too.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:11 , Mike Jones
11 mins: Mo Salah gives Darwin Nunez a lot of work to do by slipping a pass in behind the defence. Nunez goes chasing after the ball and keeps it in way, even winning a corner for Liverpool.
Kostas Tsimikas whips the set piece into the middle of the box which swings right into the middle of the six-yard box. The hosts do well to clear the danger but Liverpool recover the ball and come again quickly.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:08 , Mike Jones
8 mins: There are chances popping up at both ends of the pitch. Xavi Simons drifts into space from the left wing for Leipzig and looks to curl a shot at the Liverpool goal.
Caoimhin Kelleher clings onto it with too much trouble.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:06 , Mike Jones
5 mins: Cody Gakpo weaves his way down the left wing after being fed the ball. He gets into space and hooks a cross over to the far side of the penalty area.
Mo Salah pops up but can’t reach the ball with an attempted header.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:03 , Mike Jones
2 mins: Chance!
Kostas Tsimikas is put under pressure deep in his own half and loses the ball. It’s played across the edge of the box where Xavi Simons arrives and lifts a first time effort over the crossbar.
Good chance and the Leipzig attacker knows he needed to keep that one down.
Kick off! RB Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool
20:02 , Mike Jones
Liverpool get the ball rolling and boot it back to Virgil van Dijk who goes long. The ball is recovered on the wing and eventually moved over to the opposite side of the pitch.
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
19:56 , Mike Jones
Here come the teams.
The players make their way out of the tunnel at the Red Bull Arena ahead of this intriguing clash. Can Liverpool win again and keep their unbeaten streak going in the Champions League?
Let’s find out…
‘It’s a special match’
19:50 , Mike Jones
“It’s really a special match, a dream come true,” says RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons who was speaking at yesterday’s press conference.
“I can’t wait to face them and make a good evening out of it. You dream of these games as a little kid. I get goosebumps when I think about it.”
Leipzig vs Liverpool prediction
19:45 , Mike Jones
Given the form Liverpool have been in so far this year it is hard to look beyond them, although Leipzig will have the home advantage and a desperation to get some points in the Champions League.
RB Leipzig 1-2 Liverpool.
Konate and Szoboszlai return to Leipzig
19:40 , Mike Jones
Before both joined Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate made 95 appearances for RB Leipzig between 2017 and 2021, while Dominik Szoboszlai scored 20 goals in 91 matches for the club, winning the German cup in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
A tale of two leagues
19:35 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig are unbeaten and have 17 points after seven Bundesliga games, a new club record. They have conceded only twice in the league, keeping six clean sheets.
Their only two defeats this season have both come in Europe and the Champions League; away at Atletico Madrid and at home to Juventus.
Dominik Szoboszlai knows the importance of his ‘dirty job’ with Liverpool
19:30 , Mike Jones
Dominik Szoboszlai is working hard to improve his goalscoring return but insisted it was more important that he is doing a “dirty job” for Arne Slot’s Liverpool side.
Last season, Szoboszlai chipped in with eight goals in 55 appearances for the Reds but so far this season his only strike came in the 3-1 Champions League win over AC Milan in September, and that has led to complaints from sections of the Liverpool support and, sometimes, his own manager.
The 23-year-old said he is putting in the hours on the training ground to improve but he is more interested in the team’s results than his own numbers.
Dominik Szoboszlai knows the importance of his ‘dirty job’ with Liverpool
Salah closing in on Gerrard and Carragher
19:25 , Mike Jones
Mohamed Salah should make his 69th European Cup appearance for Liverpool, to move him into third place on the club’s all-time appearance list in the competition, behind Jamie Carragher (91) and Steven Gerrard (87).
A strong start for Slot
19:20 , Mike Jones
If Arne Slot’s side win this game they will become the first team in the club’s history to win each of their opening six away fixtures of a season.
The Reds could record an eighth consecutive victory in all competitions for the first time since March 2022 (a run of 12).
‘Everybody wants to play these games’
19:15 , Mike Jones
“I think everybody as a player wants to play those games,” said Cody Gakpo when asked about the tough fixtures Liverpool have coming up with Leipzig tonight and Arsenal at the weekend.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: “When you are at a big club, as Liverpool [is], you have the opportunity to get these games in the Champions League and in the league. We are all looking forward to it.
“I enjoy it. I think it’s the best feeling to just play games – maybe not so much training but more games.
“I think every player likes to get as much minutes as possible and to play at the highest level, to show yourself again and again. That’s what we all try to do every game.”
Liverpool on the road
19:10 , Mike Jones
Liverpool very much enjoy playing away in the European top-flight and have a strong record when on the road. The Reds have won 14 of their last 19 away Champions League matches, including nine of the last 11.
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
19:05 , Mike Jones
These two teams were drawn together for the only previous time in the 2020-21 Champions League campaign.
They met in the first knockout round and the Reds won 2-0 in both legs, which were held in Budapest due to Covid-19 restrictions. Will Liverpool emulate that result tonight?
Reds well drilled
19:00 , Mike Jones
Liverpool have been put through their paces ahead of this match. They overcame Chelsea at the weekend and another victory tonight would be a big bonus for Arne Slot’s side.
Liverpool versus German opposition
18:55 , Mike Jones
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 12 meetings with German opposition in all European competition (winning nine and drawing three).
Liverpool team changes
18:53 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot makes three changes to the Liverpool team that defeated Chelsea at the weekend. Kostas Tsimikas comes into the defence in place of Andy Robertson.
In midfield Alexis Mac Allister comes in for Curtis Jones while Darwin Nunez starts and Diogo Jota drops out due to injury.
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool line-ups
18:48 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig XI: Gulacsi, Geertruida, Orban, Nusa, Haidara, Simons, Openda, Vermeeren, Lukeba, Sesko, Henrichs
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
Szoboszlai returns to Leipzig
18:40 , Mike Jones
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai makes his return to a former club tonight when the Reds face RB Leipzig.
In 91 appearances for Leipzig between 2021 and 2023, Szoboszlai scored 20 goals and provided 22 assists. He won the German Cup in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, scoring the second goal in the latter victory – his last game for the German club.
Curtis Jones embodies Steven Gerrard as Liverpool pass toughest test under Arne Slot
18:35 , Mike Jones
When Arne Slot had suggested Chelsea were potential champions, it posed the question of whether they could keep up with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. It soon transpired they could not keep up with the Joneses.
Or not Curtis Jones, anyway. Winners are not always scored by the best player on the pitch but, in a match that could shape two clubs’ seasons, this one was.
Jones’ display of extraordinary dynamism restored Liverpool to the top of the table. It meant that Chelsea, already beaten by Manchester City, have failed their two biggest tests of the season so far. Liverpool, now seven points clear of them, have passed their toughest.
Curtis Jones embodies Steven Gerrard as Liverpool pass toughest test under Arne Slot
Rose not stressing over Leipzig’s European form
18:30 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig have ot won in the Champions League yet this season but their manager Marco Rose isn’t too worried about the situation and hopes his players will be able to take points away from Liverpool this evening.
“To lose is never good, we are not relaxed, but we know we could have won more points with maybe a better performance an with more luck,” Rose said when asked about their Champions League campaign so far.
“Now we face Liverpool, another great team. It is our third match with five more coming up, also against strong opponents. Considering our start to this competition, of course there is a little bit of pressure built up.
“(Wednesday) will not be decisive but it will be important to get some points, to relieve some of the pressure, and it would be cool to start that against Liverpool.”
“We’ll work together again”: Leipzig boss Marco Rose on Jurgen Klopp
18:25 , Mike Jones
Jurgen Klopp will not be at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night but he will loom large over the Champions League clash between RB Leipzig and his former club Liverpool.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose knows Klopp better than most, having spent six seasons playing for him at Mainz, and he learned a huge amount from his old boss, both as a player and now a coach.
“(When I was a player) he always brought a lot of energy into our team,” Rose said. “Maybe we would be feeling weak but he came in and gave us the confidence, the power to play the next match and to believe in yourself, to believe that every situation can be turned around.
“As a coach, you can learn a lot from him. We might not always have been of the same opinion, but how he leads a group is unique, his honesty. Then it is especially about defending that I learned from him a lot.
“He is a great personality and a great person. I loved working together with him and I’m happy that we’ll work together again.”
Chiesa still not ready to feature
18:20 , Mike Jones
Federico Chiesa was one of Liverpool’s summer signings and would have expected to play a big part in their campaigns in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
But, he’s been plagued with a lack of match fitness due to injuries and other factors meaning he is still not available to Arne Slot.
“He missed a complete pre-season, I said this many times, and going to a league where the intensity might even be higher than the Italian league. We just faced the two Italian teams so I can say this now,” said Slot.
“So that makes it difficult for him to make the step towards the intensity levels the rest of the team is at at the moment. That has not so much to do with the Italian league or the Premier League, that has more to do with him missing a complete pre-season and that is so difficult for every player – when the games are constantly there – to build them up towards the levels we are at.
“So, difficult to say [a timeframe] but it’s a big disappointment for him that he is going in and out of the training sessions all the time.”
Arne Slot provides Diogo Jota update
18:15 , Mike Jones
Diogo Jota was subbed off in the first half of Liverpool’s match against Chelsea at the weekend and now looks set for a spell on the sidelines.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot addressed Jota’s injury saying: “We have a few issues at the moment.
“He got a knock [on Sunday], like we all saw, when he was trying to go to goal, brought down. That was not the biggest problem but I think the other player fell onto him and that hurt him that much that he couldn’t continue to play and he couldn’t come with us for now.
“It’s difficult to judge at this moment of time to see how long that’s going to take. It’s bruised, so we have to see how long it is going to take.”
Arne Slot confident uncertainty over future of key Liverpool trio will not prove a distraction
18:10 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot insisted he will be involved in contract talks with Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah by saying it would be “weird” if he was not consulted and shrugging off suggestions the right-back would be distracted as Real Madrid’s interest in him has become more public.
Liverpool’s captain, vice-captain and top scorer are all out of contract at the end of the season but Slot is adamant it is not an issue for him and he would only be worried if he reached the last day of the campaign with their futures still up in the air.
The Dutchman is Liverpool’s first head coach – predecessor Jurgen Klopp’s job title was manager and he had more control, albeit without getting his way when he wanted to keep Roberto Firmino and James Milner in 2023 – meaning sporting director Richard Hughes will assume overall responsibility for talks with the three key players. Slot confirmed, though, that he will play a part in discussions.
Arne Slot confident uncertainty over future of key trio will not prove a distraction
How does the Champions League format work in 2024/25?
18:05 , Mike Jones
The pivotal change in Champions League format for this season is the departure from the former group stage system. From the 2024/25 season, 36 clubs will participate in the Champions League league phase (former group stage). Those 36 clubs will participate in a single league competition in which all 36 competing clubs are ranked together.
Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase, facing fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.
To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots. Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16, while the teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition. Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated, with no access to the Europa League.
Preparation is key
18:00 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig have been readying themselves for Liverpool’s visit, under the watchful eye of coach Marco Rose. Can the German side earn all three points tonight?
‘Contract negotiations ongoing’ says Van Dijk
17:55 , Mike Jones
Virgil van Dijk is one of three players, along with Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contracts with Liverpool are coming to an end.
The captain provided an update saying negotiations over a new deal are ‘ongoing’. Van Dijk said: “I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know, we will see what happens in the future.
“My very full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring I have no idea at the moment. I can only tell you that discussions have been started up and we will see.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk speaks out over Anfield contract talks
17:50 , Mike Jones
Virgil van Dijk has confirmed he is in talks with Liverpool about a new contract but admitted he has no idea what his future holds.
The Liverpool captain’s current deal – like those of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold – expires at the end of the season and he has been discussing an extension with the club.
But Liverpool risk losing a £75m signing on a free transfer with Van Dijk able to arrange a summer move to foreign clubs from January and the centre-back unsure whether he will remain at Anfield.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk speaks out over Anfield contract talks
Slot not fooled by Leipzig’s record in Europe
17:45 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig have yet to win in the Champions League this season but are unbeaten in the German Bundesliga. Liverpool boss Arne Slot has noted this and is preparing to face a strong team this evening.
Slot said: “I never think it is a good idea to lose a game. Wherever you are in the season, you always want the best possible result. We face a good team, doing well in the Bundesliga.
“With this format, after two games you can have a league table that doesn’t tell the whole story. They are a very good team and, yes, the fixture list is tough, but what do you expect if you play in the Champions League?
“That is what we like and what we want.”
‘They are physical and a strong team’
17:40 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig head coach, Marco Rose, spoke about Liverpool in the build-up to tonight’s clash and labelled Arne Slot’s side as ‘physical and strong’.
Rose believes facing the current Premier League leaders will be an exciting challenge for his team. He said: “They are strong at pressing and work hard defensively. They are physical and a strong team without possession, something that they were good at under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot is doing it in his own way.
“Their game hasn’t changed much; they still play at a really high intensity.Their positional play is strong and dominant, plus they are hard to defend against and have lots of quality in attack.
“They are a top side and it’s an exciting challenge for us.”
Klopp ‘wants to learn again’ as Red Bull’s global head of soccer
17:35 , Mike Jones
Jurgen Klopp hopes to be able to “figure out what is useful for football” in his new role as Red Bull’s global head of soccer.
The former Liverpool manager said he wanted to start learning about the game again when he officially starts on January 1.
“A few months ago I said I don’t see myself on the sidelines any more and that’s still the case, but I still love football and still love working and Red Bull gives me the perfect platform for that,” Klopp, who left Anfield in the summer after almost nine years, said in a video on Instagram.
“I want to share my experience which I collected over the years and we all know there are much more successful managers out there.
“In my career I’ve fought for promotion, I’ve fought against relegation, I’ve fought for titles and I’ve fought for trophies. Sometimes we failed, sometimes we succeeded and dealing with that is not easy, but it is possible. Then I want to learn again because when you are in the job and have to play every three days you barely have time for that.
“Now I have time and I have the opportunity and I want to see, feel and figure out what is useful for football. So developing football a little bit as well.”
Jurgen Klopp was accused of betrayal – yet Liverpool and Red Bull share something in common
17:30 , Mike Jones
Across a quarter of a century and three clubs, Jurgen Klopp had forged a reputation as the people’s champion, the charismatic communicator with the capacity to get everyone to buy into what he was doing. His legend was burnished, his legacy endured.
Nine years after his departure from Borussia Dortmund, he was welcomed back to the Signal Iduna Park in September to coach in a testimonial game between sides captained by Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek, performing his trademark fist pumps in front of the Yellow Wall again.
On Saturday, Mainz turned their attention to the manager who propelled them from the German second flight into Europe. “Have you forgotten everything we gave you?” read one banner. “Bist du bekloppt?” (“Are you crazy?”) asked another, punning on his surname in his native tongue. For once, the people turned on Klopp.
Klopp was accused of betrayal – yet Liverpool and Red Bull share something in common
Latest odds
17:25 , Mike Jones
According to the bookies, Liverpool are the favourites to win this one though at 14/5 Leipzig are in with a decent shout of causing an upset.
A draw is apparantly the least likely outcome so expect one of these teams to go out and win this evening.
Leipzig 14/5
Draw 16/5
Liverpool 10/11
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Predicted line-ups
17:20 , Mike Jones
Here’s how we see the two teams lining up this evening. Liverpool are without Alisson in goal so Caoimhin Kelleher will get the opportunity to further impress in the Champions League.
RB Leipzig XI: Gulacsi, Geertruida, Orban, Castello, Henrichs, Nusa, Kampl, Vermeeren, Xavi, Openda, Sesko
Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Early team news
17:15 , Mike Jones
Liverpool will be without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who continues to recover from a hamstring problem. A late decision may be made over Diogo Jota, who had to come off against Chelsea, while Harvey Elliott continues his rehabilitation following a broken foot.
Leipzig may be without Amadou Haidara after he had to leave the field early during their win against Mainz. Nicolas Seiwald, David Raum, Assan Ouédraogo and Xaver Schlager are all not expected to be available. But Kevin Kampl could be pushing for inclusion in the matchday squad.
How can I watch it?
17:10 , Mike Jones
The match will be shown live in the UK on Discovery+ TNT Sports 1 with coverage starting at 7pm BST. Subscribers can also watch the match via the app and website.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is the game?
17:05 , Mike Jones
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool will kick off at 8pm BST (9pm CEST) at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.
Leipzig v Liverpool – live updates
17:00 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot’s side have been progressing well in both the Premier League and Champions League – top of the former, they’ve also won both their fixtures so far in Europe, beating AC Milan away and Bologna at home to sit with maximium points so far.
For Leipzig it’s somewhat different; although they are unbeaten in the Bundesliga and sit second only on goal difference behind Bayern Munich, they’ve lost two out of two in Europe.
Defeats to Atletico Madrid and Juventus are far from embarassing, but it does leave the Germans in a tough spot given they also still have to play Inter Milan, Aston Villa and Sporting CP after this clash with Liverpool.
Leipzig v Liverpool – live updates
15:39 , Karl Matchett
Good afternoon and welcome to the Independent’s coverage of RB Leipzig vs Liverpool in the Champions League – the third round of matches in this season’s competition and with the Reds well-set already to progress towards the knock-outs.
Kick-off is at 8pm GMT and we’ll have all the team news coming up as well as the match build-up from Germany.
