Liverpool will face AC Milan at the San Siro this week as they kick off their Champions League campaign.

The Reds suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in the Premier League, so they will be keen to bounce back with a positive result in midweek.

For the home side, after picking up just two points from their first three wins, and heading into the international break with confidence at its lowest, victory over Venezia was crucial for the red and black outfit. Milan responded in the best possible way and restored much-needed confidence. Liverpool will be their next opponents in the Champions League.

This fixture evokes the 2005 Champions League final, when Liverpool faced an AC Milan side of unparalleled quality. When they were 3-0 down at half-time under Carlo Ancelotti’s side, the result looked certain. However, Steven Gerrard inspired a historic second-half comeback that eventually saw Liverpool lift their fifth Champions League title.

In this year’s rematch, Arne Slot is expected to set up a 4-2-3-1 formation and may make some changes to his squad against Milan. Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo will have the opportunity to start.

Defense

Alisson Becker will continue to play in goal for the Merseyside club despite conceding in his last outing. Ibrahima Konate will partner Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of the Slot defence as they attempt to contain AC Milan’s forwards.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will try to make the difference from right-back while Andrew Robertson continues to operate on the left. Both will have the freedom to get forward and express themselves close to the opposition defence. Joe Gomez will provide cover for the defence on the bench.

Midfielder

Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch will anchor the Reds midfield, focusing on establishing their dominance over the opposition in the middle of the park. The talented trio of Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah will operate just ahead of them as part of Liverpool’s attack. All three will need to be at their best if the Merseyside giants are to win at the San Siro this week.

Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz will be able to come off the bench and could make an impact in the latter stages of the game if needed.

Attack

Darwin Nunez will lead the line for Liverpool. He will be keen to show off his pace against AC Milan’s defence. Diogo Jota will be on the bench waiting for his chance to shine.