Tonight, we're watching a match we definitely won't see next season

Andoni Iraola’s side will make their Champions League debut in front of their home fans after collecting five points from their first three Premier League matches. Atlético arrive in England following a heavy 3–0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao.

The two clubs have a rich history of encounters in Europe’s elite competition. One of the most memorable came in 2020, when Atlético eliminated Liverpool at Anfield, with Jürgen Klopp in charge at the time.

The two teams also met in Liverpool last season. The visitors from Madrid managed to come back from a two-goal deficit after Marcos Llorente scored twice, but Liverpool ultimately secured the victory. The decisive moment came late in the game when Virgil van Dijk headed home.

Before that, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah had scored for the Reds.

The draw has once again paired the same rivals this season, but that has effectively made it impossible for the identical fixture to take place again next year.

Ahead of the draw for the 2026/27 season, UEFA introduced an additional rule stating that the same match between two clubs, with the same team playing at home, cannot be repeated for three consecutive seasons in the same competition.

This means Liverpool can still face Atlético next season, but only away from home. If the draw pairs them together again, the match could not be played at Anfield.