Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has warned that Atletico de Madrid will present very difficult tactics for his side.
The English league leaders are big favourites to progress from their Champions League Round of 16 tie, with the two sides in sharply contrasting form.
Liverpool have collected a remarkable 103 points from their last 105 available in the Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United four months ago the only points dropped so far this campaign.
That appears to have put Jurgen Klopp’s side firmly on course for their first league title in 30 years, while they have also reached the last two Champions League finals – including last season’s triumph in Atleti’s Wanda Metropolitano home.
By contrast, Atleti are sitting 13 points off the pace in La Liga and whilst they sit in the top four, they are just three points ahead of Real Sociedad, in eighth.
Nonetheless, the England full-back warned that Diego Simeone’s side will pose tactics and questions that will cause problems for the runaway Premier League leaders.
“We have faced teams with very different tactics and we have managed to adapt, and this will be another of those challenges for us,” Alexander-Arnold told his pre-match press conference, as cited by Marca.
“This match will be different from Norwich, but we know what we have to do and we hope to achieve a good result for the second leg.
“I would not say that we have a psychological advantage, we believe in ourselves as a team and we also have that mentality, it doesn’t matter which team we face.
“The Coach has helped us prepare all this and consists in doing things as well as we know.
“In recent years we have overcome these phases of the competition, the experience of recent years will help us and we have learned to go far in this competition/
“It does not mean that we will achieve it this season, but we know what is necessary. If we are not 100 percent they will punish us.”
