Match Preview: Liverpool Face Qarabag with Champions League Round of 16 in Sight
A draw would likely be enough to progress into the last 16.
It should never have come to this, but here we are. Liverpool head into their final Champions League group phase fixture against Qarabag with everything to play for and everything to lose. This game, at Anfield, against a team most supporters can’t name a player from, carries the weight of a season slipping through fingers and a fanbase rapidly losing patience. It may also be the last stand for Arne Slot.
Qarabag: Unknown, But Not Unthreatening
Let’s make no mistake — Liverpool should beat Qarabag. On paper, in terms of squad quality, historical pedigree, and financial might, this should be a comfortable night under the lights at Anfield. But that’s not football. Qarabag have shown throughout this Champions League campaign that they are no pushovers. They’ve beaten Frankfurt, Benfica and Copenhagen and they’ve drawn with Chelsea.
And this Liverpool side, it must be said, are anything but consistent. There is no swagger, no aura. Teams no longer arrive at Anfield beaten before a ball is kicked. Instead, they turn up with belief that they can hurt Liverpool, frustrate them, and even take points from them. That’s how far this side has fallen since the high of winning the league under Slot last season.
Fragility and Faded Dominance
The truth is hard to swallow, but it must be said: Liverpool feel fragile. They’ve failed to win 13 of their last 18 Premier League games. They dropped points in winnable fixtures. The side that used to chase down games with ferocity now buckles under pressure.
Slot’s Liverpool have lost their identity. The unbeaten runs were papering over cracks. The attacking rhythm is gone. The defensive foundation has crumbled. They are missing key players with Bradley, Leoni, Gomez, and Konate all out, meaning Virgil van Dijk stands alone as the only recognised centre-back.
It’s all well and good to point fingers at injuries, but Liverpool have lived through worse. The true worry is the psychological state of this squad. They don’t look like they believe. They don’t look like they fear the consequences of poor performances. That is on the manager.
Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Van Dijk (C), Kerkez, Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike, Salah.
Bench: Mamrdashvili, Woodman, Nallo, Robertson, Endo, Nyoni, Chiesa, Gakpo, Ngumoha
Europe as a Lifeline
The Champions League has offered moments of escapism this season with wins over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, along with some strong away performances, but the safety net is thinning. Liverpool sit on 15 points. A draw guarantees progress. A loss opens the door to a humiliating slide into the playoffs. And if that happens, the pressure on Slot may become unbearable.
Because this is a season that could still be saved. The Champions League format now offers opportunities. A favourable draw in the last 16, a home leg second, and suddenly you’re one or two performances from a semi-final. Slot must see that. The club must see that. This competition is Liverpool’s best, maybe only, chance to achieve something meaningful this season.
The league campaign is on the brink. Sixth place, behind a resurgent Man United and a steady Chelsea, is not where a club of Liverpool’s stature should be. And with Newcastle lurking close behind, even holding onto a Europa League spot is not guaranteed. Europe, then, has to be a priority.
Much has been made about the need for fans to rally behind the team, to provide that famous Anfield atmosphere. But this cannot be a one-way street. Supporters have seen too many slow starts, too many collapses, too much inconsistency. Against PSV, the team folded under pressure. Against Bournemouth, they were directionless. The idea that Anfield alone can will this side to victory feels like a hollow plea now.
But this is about the players restoring their own standards. Mohamed Salah, anonymous against Bournemouth, must lead. Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, who show flashes but no consistency, need to deliver. Florian Wirtz has the quality and ability to make a difference. And Van Dijk, the captain in a crumbling defence, must set the tone with more than words.
Slot, for his part, must take ownership. His selection decisions have baffled. His substitutions are often reactive rather than proactive. There are whispers that he’s lost sections of the dressing room. Whether that’s true or not, the performances on the pitch suggest a disconnect. There is talent in this squad, but there is no cohesion.
If he cannot manage a win at home to Qarabag, with Liverpool’s European future on the line, then questions about his future are more than justified.
Score prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Qarabag