The draw for the Champions League group stage takes place on Thursday in Monaco (5pm BST), as Liverpool look to retain their European crown in this season’s competition.
The Reds clinched glory in Madrid back in June, and along with Manchester City, they are the team many will want to avoid.
Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves in Pot 1 ahead of the draw, which will then see them pitted against a team from Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
Although the pots haven’t officially been confirmed yet – there are still some qualifiers taking place – it looks likely that they will be as follows:
POT 2: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham, Dortmund, Napoli, Shaktar, Ajax, Benfica
POT 3: Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Salzburg, Olympiakos, Brugge, Valencia, Inter Milan, Dinama Zagreb
POT 4: Lokomotiv Moscow, Young Boys, Genk, Galatasaray, RB Leipzig, Slavia Prague, Atalanta, Lille
Here’s a look at the best and worst case scenario for Liverpool.
Best Case Scenario: Benfica, Club Brugge, Lille
If Liverpool want the easiest path possible into the knockout stages, Benfica arguably represent the best opponents in Pot 2.
Shakhtar Donetsk would also be more comfortable than some in the list, although trips to Ukraine in the winter can be awkward.
Club Brugge should be easy to overcome in Pot 3, certainly compared to those also in that group, while drawing Lille in Pot 4 would mean a short trip to France, making life more straightforward in terms of travel.
Worst Case Scenario: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta
Real Madrid are the obvious team to avoid in Pot 2, given their European pedigree and the fact that Zinedine Zidane is back in charge.
Then again, Liverpool have unfinished business with the Liga giants, following the heartbreak of Kyiv in the 2018 final.
Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen stand out as the toughest potential opponents in Pot 3, with the latter one of Europe’s most vibrant young sides.
The same applies to Atalanta, who would be exciting to face but also a dangerous proposition.
Read Liverpool Verdict
At the end of the day, football is hugely subjective and supporters will have varying opinions on who Liverpool’s best opponents would be.
The beauty of the draw is that the Reds go into it as one of the two best sides in Europe, with nothing to fear.
While it would be reckless to say the Champions League should be treated as a free hit this season, there is no great pressure on Liverpool to win it again.
Quite frankly, they will back themselves to beat whoever is drawn against them on Thursday – bring it on…
