AD FEATURE: Liverpool Champions League 2025/26 season preview: odds, prediction and fixtures
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Liverpool's quest to win a seventh European Cup begins this week as the Reds get their Champions League campaign for the 2025/26 season underway.
Atletico Madrid are the visitors to Anfield on Wednesday, September 17 for match day 1 of the league stage.
Arne Slot's side will approach the competition from a position of strength after the Dutchman delivered Anfield its 20th league title with a 10-point cushion last season.
And they appear to have picked up from where they left off this term, winning all of their first four matches to top the Premier League table in the early stages, following a wild succession of late winning goals in each match they have played.
The Premier League champions were eliminated at the round of 16 stage of European football's elite competition last season after being edged out on penalties by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in a tight two-legged contest of the highest quality.
But with Slot overhauling his attacking options in a summer transfer spree, bringing in the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and record transfer Alexander Isak - who could be in line for his maiden Anfield appearance - bookmakers Bet365 have Liverpool 4/7 favourites to beat Diego Simeone's side in their opening match.
A draw is priced at 16/5 and an away win for Atletico - a result they famously achieved at Anfield in 2020 in the final match before the coronavirus lockdown - is a slightly longer shot at 9/2.
Looking at the wider picture, Slot's side have been installed as joint-favourites to win the Champions League this season at 6/1, alongside FC Barcelona.
The view from our chief Liverpool writer, Ian Doyle
If there's one opposing manager who can effortlessly rile the Liverpool crowd, it's Diego Simeone.
And the Atletico Madrid boss has good reason to welcome a return to Anfield having masterminded a famous win there to end Liverpool's reign as Champions League holders five years ago.
The Spanish side, though, have had a difficult start to their domestic campaign with their 2-0 home win over Villarreal on Saturday their first victory of the season.
Not since 2018 have Atletico failed to reach the knockout stages and they were, similar to Liverpool, only eliminated on penalties in the round of 16 last season by neighbours Real Madrid.
They won away at Paris Saint-Germain, Sparta Prague and Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League last season, and were also one of only three teams to win at eventual champions Barcelona in La Liga.
Nevertheless, Liverpool have started their domestic season strongly enough and have already encountered packed defences the like of which they are expected to come up against on Wednesday.
Win tickets to a Champions League match
Bet365 are giving fans the opportunity to win two tickets to a Champions League match throughout the tournament, as part of their big ticket giveaway.
Apply for your UEFA Champions League Tickets Here – T&Cs Apply
Significant Terms and Conditions
The giveaway for each match fixture will be a separate promotion subject to these terms and conditions.
In each match giveaway, excluding Spanish team home games, 5 winners will each win 2x match tickets to the selected UEFA Champions League men’s football match.
For Spanish team home games, 1 winner will win 2x match tickets to the selected UEFA Champions League men's football match.