Key events
Liverpool 0-0 Galatasaray (agg 0-1): Salah takes a tumble in the area inside two minutes but there’s no penalty shout as Ekitiké launches a curling effort wide for the hosts.
Peeeep!
We’ve kicked-off in Munich, London and Liverpool.
Bayern Munich v Atalanta (agg 6-1)
Liverpool v Galatasaray (agg 0-1)
Tottenham v Atlético Madrid (agg 2-5)
Ian Copestake writes in:
I have taken delivery of shiny new headphones so I can get closer to the misery. But if misery it be then the Liverpool players will have brought it on Slot, not the other way round. The manager does not want them to play as slowly as they do in too many games but still it keeps happening. If it happens tonight then the shame is on them, not him.
As does Andrew Goudie:
How on earth are Liverpool going to score two goals? Two free kicks from Szoboszlai?
It’s a European night at Anfield – that’ll surely get things moving, right?
Harry Kane’s captaining Bayern Munich tonight. I knew he was having a ridiculous season, but I haven’t looked at the numbers for a while: he’s got 45 club goals in 38 appearances, with eight in eight Champions League games. He’s two shy of 50 goals in the competition. Tidy.
Over in Barcelona, the hosts are trying to get to double digits.
Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitiké are back for Liverpool after starting on the bench against Tottenham on Sunday.
The suspended Richarlison is missing for Spurs, with Kolo Muani to lead the line. Dominic Solanke was a doubt for this one and he’s not included in the squad. Jan Oblak is not in Atlético’s XI.
Bayern Munich v Atalanta teams
Bayern Munich: Urbig, Stanisic, Kim, Tah, Bischof, Goretzka, Pavlovic, Karl, Guerreiro, Díaz, Kane
Subs: Bärtl, Prescott, Upamecano, Gnabry, Jackson, Ito, Laimer, Ofli, Manuba, Pavic
Atalanta: Sportiello, Kossounou, Hien, Scalvini, Bellanova, Pasalic, Éderson, Bernasconi, De Ketelaere, Sulemana, Scamacca
Subs: Carnesecchi, Rossi, Bakker, Samardzic, De Roon, Raspadori, Djimsiti, Kolasinac, Zalewski, Ahanor, Zappacosta, Krstovic
Tottenham v Atlético Madrid teams
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Spence, Simons, Sarr, Gray, Tel, Muani
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Danso, Udogie, Bergvall, Gallagher, Olusesi, Kyerematen, Rowswell
Atlético Madrid: Musso, Molina, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri, Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman, Alvarez, Griezmann
Subs: Esquivel, De Luis, Giménez, Koke, Sørloth, Baena, Almada, Lenglet, Pubill, Vargas, González, Díaz
Liverpool v Galatasaray teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Ekitiké, Wirtz
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha
Galatasaray: Cakir, Boey, Singo, Bardakci, Jakobs, Torreira, Lemina, Sallai, Gabriel Sara, Yilmaz, Osimhen
Subs: Sen, Guvenc, Icardi, Sané, Akgun, Elmali, Gündogan, Kutucu, Asprilla, Ayhan, Gurpuz, Lang
Preamble
Away we go, with three more Champions League last-16 ties to complete. One is almost certainly done, with Bayern Munich 6-1 up as they prepare to host Atalanta. Spurs’ first-half collapse against Atlético Madrid means they’re three goals down – chuck in their turmoil in the league and it’s incredibly hard to see a way back … but maybe Igor Tudor’s playing this on repeat in the dressing room.
Realistically, we’ve got to focus on Liverpool’s meeting with Galatasaray, the tightest of the lot, the Turkish side 1-0 up after Mario Lemina’s goal at Rams Park. Arne Slot has got some heat on him but, as Jonathan Liew points out, how much of this is really on him?
Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, still in the Champions League, and have accumulated more league points since the start of last season than anybody bar Arsenal. On the other hand, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, on the verge of elimination from the Champions League, and on pace to drop 22 points from last season.
