European nights at Anfield return as Liverpool open their Champions League league-phase campaign against Atlético Madrid. Here’s your quick guide to how to watch wherever you are, plus fresh team news, predicted line-ups and the smartest pre-match stats.
Key info
- Competition: UEFA Champions League (League Phase), Matchday 1
- Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST / 21:00 CEST / 15:00 ET
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
- Referee / VAR: Maurizio Mariani (ITA) / Marco Di Bello (ITA)
How to watch – by country
United Kingdom — Live on TNT Sports 1 and streaming on discovery+ at 20:00 BST. (Amazon Prime Video has first pick on Tuesdays; this is a Wednesday game.)
United States (English) — Stream every UCL match on Paramount+.
United States (Spanish) — Coverage via TelevisaUnivision networks and ViX; select matches also stream on DAZN under a Spanish-language sublicensing deal.
Ireland — RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player are carrying Matchday 1 UCL games free-to-air, including Liverpool–Atlético tonight.
Spain — Live on Movistar Plus+ (M+ Liga de Campeones).
Australia — Every Champions League match streams on Stan Sport (add-on).
Canada — Live streaming on DAZN.
Germany — DAZN shows almost all UCL fixtures (Tuesdays shared with Amazon; Wednesdays on DAZN).
Team news & predicted line-ups
Notes: Multiple reputable outlets broadly agree on the core of both XIs; there’s minor variance at left-back for Liverpool and left-mid for Atleti. Consensus below blends several same-day previews.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1, predicted)
Alisson; Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson (Milos Kerkez); Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai; Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitike.
Bench watch: Alexander Isak is in the squad and could feature from the bench; Alexis Mac Allister is in contention after a knock.
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2, predicted)
Jan Oblak; Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, Clément Lenglet, Matteo Ruggeri (Javi Galán also mentioned); Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Pablo Barrios, Nico González (or Conor Gallagher); Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sørloth.
Injuries/concerns: Julián Álvarez, José María Giménez, Álex Baena, Thiago Almada and Johnny Cardoso are expected absentees.
Head-to-head & form snapshot
- Liverpool won both meetings in the 2021/22 group stage; overall the rivalry is finely balanced.
- Liverpool arrive perfect in the Premier League (four wins from four). Atlético ended a sticky LaLiga start with a morale-boosting win over Villarreal at the weekend.
Key pre-match stats (freshly phrased)
- Recent history swings: Liverpool went winless in their first four UCL encounters with Atlético (D2 L2) between 2008–2020, but beat them home and away in 2021/22.
- Slot vs Simeone: Arne Slot’s Feyenoord lost 1–3 and 2–3 to Atleti in last season’s UCL groups, yet edged both shots (29–16) and xG across the two ties.
- League-phase statement: In 2024/25, Liverpool topped the league phase with 21 points (W7 D0 L1), winning all four Anfield games by 10–1 on aggregate, including 2–0 vs Real Madrid.
- Salah’s milestones: Mohamed Salah leads Liverpool in UCL goals (44) and assists (17) and is set to move second for the club in competition appearances if he features.
- Griezmann’s influence: Antoine Griezmann has been involved in 26% of Atlético’s Champions League goals (51/197) — the highest share for any player at a club with 100+ UCL goals.
FAQs
What time does Liverpool vs Atlético start?
20:00 BST / 21:00 CEST / 15:00 ET.
Is the match on free TV anywhere?
In Ireland, selected UCL games (including this one) are free on RTÉ2/RTÉ Player. Elsewhere, you’ll need a subscription as listed above.
Who’s broadcasting it in the UK?
TNT Sports 1 with streaming on discovery+. (Amazon’s Tuesday pick doesn’t apply here.)
Will Alexander Isak start for Liverpool?
Reports suggest he’s likely to feature off the bench rather than start as he builds fitness.