Atletico Madrid prepare for Liverpool clash amid injuries, suspensions

Madrid, Spain, Nov 2 (EFE).- Atletico Madrid wrapped up a final training session before heading out to Anfield Road to take on Liverpool in the Champions League with six starters out of the first XI.

The Spanish league champions hope to exact revenge on the Reds after losing 2-3 at home in their last Group B tie.

But they will have to do so without Marcos Llorente, Thomas Lemar, Geoffrey Kondgobia and Ivan Saponjic, who are injured, as well as Stefan Savic and Antoine Griezmann, the latter banned for two matches for picking up a red at the Wanda Metropolitano.

The two teams met in the last-16 of the Champions League last year, when the Madrid side managed to hold off a Liverpool comeback in the second leg to move through to the quarters .

Head coach Diego Simeone on Tuesday wanted to draw a line between that match and Wednesday night’s clash.

“There are no ‘rematches’ in football,” he told a press conference at Atletico’s training complex. “When they say ‘the rematch of that game at Anfield,’ no, that’s passed,” he said.

Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp knows that a tough battle awaits him at Anfield.

“They never played a friendly game, so we should not expect that,” he said Tuesday.

Liverpool have won three of three so far and sit atop Group B with 9 points. Atletico, on the other hand, have won one, drawn one and lost one and are positioned second.EFE

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