Champions League: Tricky showdown as Liverpool face RB Salzburg

Defending champions Liverpool face tricky away showdown with Austrian team RB Salzburg tonight in a bid to avoid embarrassing group stage exit

Champions League: Tricky showdown as Liverpool face RB Salzburg

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah trains on the eve of their UEFA Champions League tie against RB Salzburg tonight. pic/Getty Images

London: Liverpool travel to Salzburg on Tuesday needing to avoid defeat to the confident Austrian champions to guard against an embarrassing Champions League group stage exit for the holders. Jurgen Klopp's men are used to getting through to the knockout stages the hard way. In each of the past two seasons they have needed home wins to secure a place in the Last 16 before going on to make the final.

However, the spectre of a free-scoring Salzburg, led by the Champions League's top scorer in Erlin Braut Haaland spells trouble for an injury-hit Liverpool backline that has consistently leaked goals this season despite streaking clear at the top of the Premier League. The Reds' recorded a first clean sheet in 14 games in Saturday's 3-0 win at Bournemouth, but lost another centre-back as Dejan Lovren limped off in the first half.

"I forgot how it feels, to be honest," said Klopp on finally ending the long wait for a clean sheet at the weekend. "It's great, we should have them more often. It was the most-used word in the dressing room by the boys—'clean sheet, clean sheet, clean sheet'. Obviously everybody were desperate for that, now we have it so let's have it more often. The next game where a clean sheet would be useful is already around the corner, against Salzburg," he added.

Reds alert

Liverpool will qualify if they win/draw against Salzburg
The Reds will progress if they lose to Salzburg and Napoli lose to Genk

Live on TV

Salzburg v Liverpool: Sony Ten 2 & Ten 2 HD, 23:25
Napoli v Genk: Sony Ten 1 & Ten 1 HD, 23:25
Chelsea v Lille: Sony Ten 1 & Ten 1 HD, 01:30 (Wednesday)
Dortmund v Slavia: Sony ESPN & ESPN HD, 01:30 (Wednesday)
Ajax v Valencia: Sony Ten 3 & Ten 3 HD, 01:30 (Wednesday)

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