Without Julián or Cardoso, but with the memory of Marcos Llorente: Atleti, on the attack at Anfield

Atlético de Madrid begins this season's Champions League campaign after a poor La Liga debut (five points out of a possible 12). Draws against Alavés and Elche and a defeat to Espanyol preceded their first win, at El Metropolitano against Villarreal (2-0) on Saturday. The victory came after Cholo Simeone's statement in his interview on Cope's El Partidazo . They now hope to extend their run, although they will face Liverpool ( Anfield , 9:00 PM).

"We know the type of players Liverpool have and that they play in the best league in the world , but we're not intimidated. A lot can happen. We have to give it our all to bring home a positive result from Anfield ," Nico González explained to As . The Argentine, despite being the last signing of this summer transfer window, started and scored the second goal against Villarreal.

Liverpool, for their part, have been the big movers and shakers of the summer transfer market. They have signed Alexander Isak (€150 million), Florian Wirtz (€125 million), Hugo Ekitiké (€95 million) , Milos Kerkez (€47 million), Jeremie Frimpong (€40 million) and Giovanni Leoni (€31 million). Along the way, they have also let go of players such as Luis Díaz (€70 million), Darwin Núñez (€53 million) and Jarell Quansah (€35 million).

Arne Slot 's attacking potential is evident, unlike what Atleti will be able to offer at Anfield. Julián Álvarez is nursing a knee injury, Johnny Cardoso has a sprained ankle, Álex Baena is recovering from appendicitis, and Thiago Almada has a sore soleus. All four have remained in the capital to further their recovery.

Atleti's new players, however, haven't quite gelled yet. Perhaps that's why Simeone turned to his old guard for the crucial match against Villarreal. Griezmann and Koke started, both performing brilliantly, reminiscent of bygone eras after their poor performance last year. It remains to be seen whether he will opt for both from the start again.

Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League (four wins in four games) and are as scary as they were in the 2019-20 round of 16. Slot's arrival hasn't been accompanied by the constant mention of Jürgen Klopp , a notable detail given the imprint the German left in his nine years in the dugout.

The memory of Marcos Llorente is the motivation Atleti are turning to in their search for victory at Anfield. In the 2020 tie , the Colchoneros , just before the lockdown due to the pandemic , won the return leg (2-3) in which the Madrid native, who had been an inconsequential member of the team until then, emerged as the hero with two great goals .

Atleti is aware of the stadium 's difficulty, but the match bears enormous similarities to what happened last season in Paris. The Colchoneros won, despite the Parisians' overwhelming dominance , deserving of a landslide victory. A match script of this nature is to be expected. But football is so capricious that it's impossible to decipher it.