Liverpool avoided some major players in the Champions League draw with the Reds set to face off against Spanish side Sevilla, Russian outfit Spartak Moscow and Slovenian champions NK Maribor in the Group Stages of UEFA’s elite club competition.
Having eased past Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in the play-off round, Liverpool are back where they belong and while our draw might seem like an easy path to the Round of 16, our penchant to play down to our opposition could very well be our undoing — the old mantra of “no easy games” certainly applies here. Although the scheduele is yet to be hashed out, according to the club’s official website, our first foray in to the Champions League proper this season will be on the week starting Monday September 11 with the final match of the Group Stage set to take place the week of December 4th.
“In this moment, for sure,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp when asked if teams will fear playing the Reds. “But it depends on our performance. We had a nice sign last night – the first 20 minutes were probably part of the best pieces of football I was ever part of. That was really impressive,” enthused the German manager. “But we have to replicate this – we have to do it again and again and again. Then we can be successful. That’s good news but hard work also.”
In far less exciting news, the Reds will have back to back trips to the Kings Power Stadium after they were drawn against Leicester City in the third round of the League Cup. Craig Shakespeare’s side, who easily dispatched Championship outfit Sheffield United at Bramall Lane yesterday, will welcome the Merseysiders to town during the week starting September 18th before opening their doors for the Traveling Kop once again at the weekend. The League Cup isn’t quite the Champions League, but it still gives us a great shot at winning some silverware — and after losing out in the final two years ago, a little revenge would be nice.
