Atletico Madrid set to be without two attackers for Champions League trip to Liverpool | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid are set to be without two of their forwards for the Champions League clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Just as they did 12 months ago, Diego Simeone’s team make the trip to Merseyside to begin their European campaign, having gone down to a 3-2 defeat in L4 last September as Virgil van Dijk headed in a stoppage-time winner for the Reds.

In stark contrast to the hugely experienced Argentine tactician, it’ll be a first taste of Champions League footbal as a head coach for his opposite number Andoni Iraola, who may be encouraged by the team news emanating from Spain.

Atletico set to be without two forwards at Anfield

As per Marca, Atletico are likely to be without Alexander Sorloth for the visit to Anfield, with the Norway striker ‘still not expected back’ from injury in time to play against Liverpool.

Los Rojiblancos definitely won’t have Arnau Ortiz to call upon due to a suspension stemming from a Conference League match two years ago, when he was sent off while playing for Slask Wroclaw against St Gallen and hasn’t played a European fixture since, with the ban yet to be served.

(Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

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Atletico still carry a threat despite those absences

Atletico will obviously miss that duo for the game at Anfield on Wednesday, but it’s not as if Simeone is left scraping around for a forward line to put together.

The manager’s son Giuliano poses a threat from the right flank, with Alex Baena on the opposite wing already netting three goals in four matches to start the season. Also, as Liverpool fans know all too well, Marcos Llorente absolutely loves his trips to Merseyside, scoring twice on both of his previous visits to L4.

Los Rojiblancos’ domestic campaign has gotten off to a mixed start, with seven points from a possible 12 and their wings clipped by a 3-0 drubbing away to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Liverpool have at least got their season up and running with the win at Ipswich last Friday, although we’ll be down a couple of forwards too with the injury absences of Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa.

We expect another hard-fought contest at Anfield in what’ll be the sixth Champions League match between the clubs in this decade, but we’re confident that the Reds have the attacking quality to repeat last September’s result against Atletico and build on the positive result at Portman Road.