Mac Allister’s clarity sparks Liverpool surge after West Ham statement winLiverpool’s 5-2 dismantling of West Ham felt less like a routine Premier League victory and more like a declaration that

Initial optimism has quickly faded before Saturday’s meeting with West Ham United.

The Reds booked their place in the last-16 of the competition thanks to finishing third in the league phase and bypassed the play-off round as a result. Arne Slot’s side now know they will face either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the next round of the Champions League, thanks to the previous draw in the competition.

Turkish pundit warns Liverpool of Victor Osimhen's threat ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash with Galatasaray, citing past performances and current form.

The road to Budapest has been mapped out for Arne Slot’s side.

That makes this a relatively favorable draw for the likes of Lyon and Real Betis, who find themselves on the opposite sides of the bracket. Real Betis in particular will fancy their chances against Greek side Panathinaikos and the winners of Ferencvaros vs. Braga.

In defence the likes of Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) are both out as Slot turns to the newly returned Jeremie Frimpong as well as Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.