Jurgen and the reds travel to Moscow for the second fixture of the Champions League Campaign as both teams look to secure their first wins of the group.
Liverpool welcome back Sadio Mane back into the first XI tonight for his first game back after his domestic suspension which kept him out of three games. It will also be the first time that we will have Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Firmino and Coutinho all available for selection together in a competitive fixture. Spartak beware. Conversely, Nathanial Clyne and Adam Lallana are still not ready for first team training and Joe Gomez is suspended for the game because of his second yellow card against Sevilla meaning a likely start at right back for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Spartak Moscow have had a pretty poor start to their first title defence since the last time they won the Russian league back in 2001. An embarrassing 5-1 defeat against Zenit St Petersburg and losses in both Moscow derbies against CSKA Moscow and Locomotive Moscow. In addition to this, the Russian outlet could be without star striker Quincy Pommes for the game as he sat out their weekend draw against Anzhi Makhachkala. Pommes joins a hefty injury list for Spartak which includes defender Tigiev, midfielders Ananidze, Glushakov and Zobnin. Pedro Rocha Neves also remains doubtful, alongside two other forwards which leaving Italian manager Massimo Carrera with only two fit forwards for the game Luiz Adriano and Sylvanus Nimely. Massimo Carrera by the way, used to be assistant manager to a certain Antonio Conte at Juventus. So, expect three at the back and lots of space down the wings for messes Mane and Salah to run riot.
My starting XI predication is as follows???
GK- Karius
Defenders Trent, Matip, Lovren and Moreno
Midfielders Can, Henderson, Coutinho
Forwards Mane, Firmino and Salah
Score Prediction 3 : 1 to Liverpool
Article by Tom Culshaw
