Key occasions
“Is it too iconoclastic to say that Alonso wasn’t the identical participant at Liverpool after Lampard broke his ankle?” says Niall Mullen. “Don’t get me improper, he was higher than Christian Poulsen however, in my nugatory opinion, he grew to become a significantly better participant after leaving Anfield (presumably due to the slower tempo of La Liga). Then once more I used to be there (and totally bamboozled) when he did this so what do I do know?”
Wasn’t the leg break midway by means of his first season? He achieved a good bit after that, together with that marvellous help (very Cole Palmer) and not less than 48 objectives from inside his personal half. However you’d know higher than me as a Liverpool fan.
Staff information: Konate match to start out
Ibrahima Konate has recovered from harm and begins for Liverpool. Which means there are two adjustments from the XI that beat Brighton on Saturday. Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz change Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez, which can imply Cody Gakpo beginning up entrance.
Xabi Alonso additionally makes two adjustments to the Leverkusen aspect that was held to a goalless draw by Stuttgart. In come Ezequiel Palacios and Aleix Garcia; out go Robert Andrich and the injured Nordi Mukiele.
Preamble
When Jurgen Klopp introduced he was leaving Liverpool on the finish of final season, there was all the time a good probability of seeing Xabi Alonso within the dugout at Anfield in 2024-25 – if not as Liverpool supervisor then, with Bayer Leverkusen romping to their first ever title, within the newfangled Champions League.
It would come to cross at simply earlier than 8pm when Alonso takes his seat for a top-of-the-table conflict. (Look, when there are 36 groups, 2nd v sixth counts as high of the desk.) It’s 15 years since Alonso final graced Anfield, lengthy sufficient to make a supercentenarian really feel outdated.
He was a marvellous participant who oozed class and intelligence, and the marginally odd finish to his Liverpool profession (Gareth Barry and all that) doesn’t change his standing as a contemporary Anfield nice.
He’s already a Leverkusen legend after resulting in the primary Bundesliga title of their historical past. There has inevitably been a little bit of second-album syndrome, they usually sit seven factors behind Bayern Munich after 9 video games, however they’ll nonetheless give anybody a recreation. Even Liverpool, who’re certainly one of Europe’s kind groups.
Kick off 8pm. There could possibly be fireworks?!?!?!
