Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid Prediction for 18 September 2025 - Football

🔊 Can Liverpool once again top their Champions League group? The premier club competition in Europe returns to Anfield on Wednesday night. Arne Slot's side face off against Diego Simeone's always tenacious Atletico. The head-to-head history is fairly balanced, but in recent encounters, the English club have often come out on top. We offer a prediction on how the opening match will unfold for both teams and assess the odds for the Madrid side.

Head-to-Head

📊 In the 2021/22 season, Liverpool defeated Atletico Madrid twice in the Champions League group stage (3-2 in Madrid and 2-0 at Anfield).

Liverpool Team Overview

🔴 The reigning English champions enter the upcoming Premier League fixture with a flawless start to the new season: 4 matches, 4 victories. The Reds have triumphed over Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, and Burnley. Liverpool remain the only team yet to drop points, deservedly sitting atop the league table. Undoubtedly, the six-time Champions League winners are among the top contenders for the trophy this year, especially considering their summer transfer activity.

🏆 In last year's Champions League campaign, the Reds confidently topped their group in the new format, but were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a disappointing penalty shootout against PSG. In this season's group stage, Slot's squad will face Atletico, Galatasaray, Eintracht, Real Madrid, PSV, Inter Milan, Marseille, and Qarabag.

Atletico Madrid Team Overview

⚪ Last season's La Liga bronze medalists have stumbled at the start of the new campaign, as "Los Colchoneros" have dropped points against lower-ranked opponents. After four rounds, Simeone's side have managed just one win, alongside two draws and a loss. Last year, Atletico also bowed out in the Champions League Round of 16, falling to Real Madrid.

🏆 Over the summer, the club had a solid transfer window, addressing key weaknesses and offloading surplus players. Simeone faces high expectations: competing for a top-three finish in La Liga and advancing as far as possible in the Champions League knockout stages. In the group stage, Atletico will face Liverpool, Eintracht, Arsenal, Union, Inter, PSV, Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt.

Latest news

Liverpool

🎙 Virgil van Dijk's post-match interview after the Burnley game (1-0): "We always aim to dominate our opponents. It was a well-deserved victory, but if I were in Burnley's shoes, conceding from a late penalty is never pleasant. However, a penalty is a penalty, and Mo executed it perfectly. He's a world-class player, and we know he can step up in such moments. Today, the key was not to get disheartened. A draw was possible, but we secured three points and move forward."

❌ Federico Chiesa is out of Liverpool's squad for the Champions League, and Curtis Jones will miss the match due to injury.

Atletico Madrid

🎙 Diego Simeone after Atletico Madrid's first win of the season against Villarreal (2-0): "This wasn't just another day. After securing only two points from three matches and playing at home, where our fans needed a victory, I felt it was the right moment to be close to the guys and share this moment of joy with them. But tomorrow, we'll start thinking about Liverpool."

❌ Julian Alvarez and David Ganzko are doubtful for the upcoming match. Jose Maria Gimenez has been sidelined for a while and will definitely miss the game at Anfield.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Italian referee Maurizio Mariani. Over his last 10 matches, he has averaged 3.5 yellow cards per game. This season, both teams are receiving an average of two bookings per match. We've opted for the bet on over 3 yellow cards as neither team has seen fewer in their first four matches of the season.

⚽ Goal Prediction

Liverpool have struggled to secure victories early in the season, often relying on late goals. Considering Atletico's disciplined defense, we don't anticipate a high-scoring affair. A prudent choice would be the bet on under 3.5 goals, which has been successful in Atletico's last five official matches.

🚩 Corner Prediction

We are backing Liverpool to win the corner count—a bet that has come through in the last four consecutive head-to-head encounters. The hosts are expected to dominate possession and create more chances, leading to a higher number of set-pieces against Atletico.

Liverpool are the clear favorites for this match. Despite winning all four of their Premier League games, each victory was hard-fought, with decisive goals coming no earlier than the 83rd minute. Atletico have had a slower start than usual but remain the quintessential Simeone side, capable of grinding out results. It's likely the Reds will dictate the play while the Madrid side bide their time for an opportunity. We anticipate a low-scoring affair and predict a home win, possibly by a scoreline of 2-0.