Champions League Preview: Liverpool’s Defense as Solid as a Rock, Bologna Trapped in a Draw Spiral

On October 3rd at 3:00 AM, the second round of the 2024/25 Champions League season will see Liverpool host Bologna at their home ground.

Slot’s Champions League debut with Liverpool was nothing short of perfect, with goals from Konate, Van Dijk, and Szoboszlai helping the Reds overturn AC Milan with a 3-1 victory at San Siro. Since then, Liverpool has consecutively defeated Bournemouth, West Ham United, and Wolves, securing four consecutive wins across all competitions, shaking off the shadow of their home defeat to Nottingham Forest and quietly climbing to the top of the Premier League table.

As a new manager, Slot has every reason to be pleased with his start to his Merseyside managerial career. After six rounds of the Premier League, Liverpool has only conceded two goals, boasting the best defensive record, and is tied with Arsenal, Villa, and Tottenham for third place on the team goal-scoring chart with 12 goals. However, Liverpool now needs to put domestic competitions aside temporarily, as they have a glorious European winning streak to continue midweek; the Reds have won all ten of their recent European group stage matches at Anfield, scoring at least two goals in each of their last nine games.

Bologna impressed last season by finishing fifth in Serie A, qualifying them to return to the European stage after a 60-year absence. However, from the departure of head coach Motta to the transfer of key players Zirkzee and Calafiori, Bologna’s combat effectiveness has been fundamentally affected. So far this season, Bologna has played seven games across all competitions, losing only one but also winning just one.

In the previous league match, despite playing a man down for a long period, Bologna narrowly missed defeating Atalanta, only to see Samardzic equalize in the dying moments of the game, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Currently, Bologna sits 13th in Serie A, needing to improve their ability to win games.

In terms of personnel, Liverpool’s Elliott will be out long-term, but Slot is optimistic that Robertson, who showed signs of injury against Wolves, is not seriously hurt. Nunez and Jota are both in the Dutchman’s plans, but Italian attacker Chiesa, signed during the summer window, remains doubtful. On Bologna’s side, Italiano is already without the severely injured Lewis Ferguson, while striker Castro had to be substituted due to injury in the league match against Atalanta. Pobega and Azuchi, both suffering from knee injuries, are racing against time.

Liverpool is currently at the peak of their form, so a repeat of their heavy defeat (0-3 loss to Atalanta) in their last European encounter against an Italian team should be avoidable. Bologna is troubled by too many draws in the league, but if they can secure a point from Anfield midweek, fans would likely not be disappointed. The final result will be revealed tonight at Anfield Stadium.

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