Champions League Matchday 1: Liverpool vs Atlético de Madrid facts

For the second successive UEFA Champions League, Liverpool and Atlético de Madrid kick off with a meeting at Anfield on Matchday 1.

Previous meetings

On 17 September 2025, a 92nd-minute Virgil van Dijk goal gave Liverpool a 3-2 home victory against Atleti, who had fought back from two goals down through a Marcos Llorente double (45+3, 81) after Andy Robertson (4) and Mohamed Salah (6) had scored early.

The English side have won the last three meetings between the clubs having also triumphed 3-2 away and 2-0 at home in the 2021/22 group stage.

Atleti had lost only one of the teams' first six fixtures (W3 D2), ending Liverpool's Champions League title defence in the 2019/20 round of 16 (1-0 h, 3-2 a aet).

Liverpool have won their last six group stage/league phase matches against Spanish teams, keeping four clean sheets in the most recent five.

The English side have lost only three of their last 15 matches at Anfield against Spanish opponents (W9 D3), beating Real Madrid 1-0 on Matchday 4 last season.

Atleti have won only two of their last 14 matches against English teams (D3 L9).

Los Colchoneros have never won a Champions League group stage/league phase match against an English team (D4 L6).

Form guide

Liverpool

This is Liverpool's 18th Champions League campaign and a ninth in ten seasons; they have reached the final five times, lifting the trophy in 2005 and at Atleti's Metropolitano stadium in 2019.

The Merseysiders were third in last season's league phase (W6 L2), beating Galatasaray 4-1 on aggregate in the round of 16 before going out to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight (0-4) – the second successive season they had been eliminated by the French side.

Liverpool have lost their Matchday 1 fixture in only two of their last 15 Champions League campaigns (W10 D3).

Atlético de Madrid

Atlético are making their 17th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 14th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013/14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Diego Simeone's side lost 1-2 on aggregate against Arsenal in last season's semi-finals, their best run since 2016/17, when they had been eliminated by Madrid at the same stage. Fourteenth in the league phase (W4 D1 L3), Atleti subsequently overcame Club Brugge (7-4 aggregate), Tottenham (7-5) and Barcelona (3-2) before going out to the Gunners.

Last season's loss at Liverpool was only Atleti's third Matchday 1 reverse in their 16 Champions League campaigns (W8 D5).

Links and trivia

Liverpool have finished in the top three of the league phase in each of the last two seasons, coming first in 2024/25 and third in 2025/26.

The Reds have won 18 of their last 21 group stage/league phase matches (L3).

The Merseyside club have won 17 of their last 18 European group stage/league phase games at Anfield (L1).

None of Liverpool's last 81 Champions League group stage/league phase matches have finished goalless, since a 0-0 draw at PSV Eindhoven on Matchday 1 in 2006/07.

Simeone is the longest-serving coach in the 2026/27 league phase having taken charge of Atleti in December 2011.

Koke has made 149 appearances in UEFA club competition; he would be the 28th player to reach 150.

Atleti have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 Champions League matches.

The Spanish side's 16 league phase matches over the last two seasons have produced a total of 64 goals, an average of four per game.

Atleti have scored in 22 of their last 24 group stage/league phase games.