Salzburg visit Anfield in already vital Group Stage clash

It has been a perfect start in the Premier League for the European Champions, but their exploits in Naples leave them pointless after the first round of fixtures in this competition.

Klopp’s men face the red hot Red Bull Salzburg in the second round of games in the Champions League and it’s not going to get any easier for them.

Salzburg have never actually come up against the Reds before, but share links through African stars Sadio Mane and Naby Keita, as well as Andre Wisdom and Peter Gulacsi, who also have played in both the Reds and Whites of the two clubs.

Salzburg got off to a flier in their campaign, scoring six in a thrashing of Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk. Goals from Hwang Hee-Chan, 18 year-old Dominik Szoboszlai and Andreas Ulmer, added to a superb hattrick from Erling Braut Haland, created a cocktail of attacking brutality we have never seen from the Austrians previously. But this is a different test.

Team news

For Die Mozartstädter it is looking increasingly likely that the aforementioned Haland, son of former Leeds and Manchester City midfielder Alf-Inge, will be out through illness and is unable to take part in the fixture. They are also without experienced ‘keeper Alex Walke and young French prospect Antoine Bernede.

For Liverpool they are likely to see the returns of Naby Keita to first team action once again after looking comfortable in the Carabao Cup fixture against MK Dons. The Merseyside club will be without the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker who both beckon towards a near return.

Klopp wary of Salzburg threat

“The way Salzburg plays is made to surprise bigger teams, but if there’s anybody in the world who knows more about the way they play, how they do what they do, then it’s probably me.

“I’ve followed that way for a long, long time. I had a similar idea when I started as a manager, so I know where the difficulties are.”

“It was always our target to be the most uncomfortable opponent in world football and if we are that tomorrow night then it will not be easy for Salzburg,

“We don’t have even a little bit of feeling that this game tomorrow is already halfway done, it’s not… we have to start winning and we should not waste time.”

“We are going there to win” says Jesse Marsch

“It is a terrible match-up for us in one sense because all the things we do well they are better at,

“They like games to feel the same way that we like them to feel, so I think stylistically, it will be a big challenge for us but we will also make things difficult for them.

“We will have to be incredibly good on the day at what we do. We are certainly going there to win.”

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