Liverpool are guaranteed to be one of the top two seeds for the Champions League knock-out stages.
Liverpool loves an Anfield European night. It does not matter how old you are, all Reds supporters have been brought up on tales and lived the club’s most iconic moments on the continent’s biggest stage.
From the likes of Inter Milan ‘65 and Saint-Etienne ‘77 to Olympiacos ’04 and Chelsea ’05, Jurgen Klopp’s great side added their own historic entries with Borussia Dortmund ‘16 and Barcelona ‘19 as Liverpool defied the odds with the whole world watching.
It’s why a plethora of footballing giants sit in awe of Anfield and the power of the Reds’ famous home and crowd when its team needs them most.
Arne Slot is yet to truly experience a famous ‘Anfield European night’. Granted thrashing Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 and dismantling Real Madrid 2-0 in this year’s revamped editions’ league phase were memorable moments. But knock-out football is a different animal entirely.
Liverpool boast an 100% winning record from this season’s league phase, with Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over Lille their seventh win from seven matches.
The result saw the Reds book their place in the round-of-16 and secure a top two finish, with only a last-minute Barcelona winner denying them top spot with a game to spare.
But regardless of whether Liverpool finish first or second, they have just handed themselves a treble advantage for the Champions League knock-out stages.
Firstly, they have skipped the knock-out phase play-offs stage entirely, with Slot himself admitting the importance of such a fact after his side’s win over Lille.
“For me the most important thing tonight is we have been able to skip a round. That is definitely worth a bit.”
Secondly, having finished in the top eight, the Reds will be seeded for the round-of-16 draw and should, in theory, be handed an easier tie as a result against one of the eight play-off round winners.
But thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, by finishing in the top two, Liverpool have ensured that they will be at home for every second leg they participate in throughout the knockout stages.
As they demonstrated against Barcelona back in 2019, you can lose 3-0 away from home in a first leg against one of the best sides on the planet, but that can be nullified entirely on an Anfield European night.
Consequently, the Reds’ remarkable league-phase form has placed them in good stead to go far in the knockout stages, safe in the knowledge that Anfield second legs await them.
Liverpool will also be kept apart from Barcelona until the final courtesy of the pair being top two seeds, though given their current form, they would be unlikely to fear the Catalans.
Given the fact that this year’s final will be held at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, you would arguably prefer to be on the Bavarians’ – who can still qualify in the top eight – side of the draw.
That way you would have would two legs to try and overcome them in, including one at Anfield, rather than just an intimidating final in their own backyard.
But beyond that, it won’t become clear just how tough each side of the draw will be until the Champions League league table is finalised next week and all of the top 24 teams are confirmed.
