2026-2027 Champions League: LASK Linz vs. Liverpool, Probable Lineups

The Raiffeisen Arena in Linz is gearing up to host the Champions League match between home team LASK and Liverpool, which is looking to bounce back in Europe’s top competition after a crushing 0-3 league loss to Manchester City at Anfield. The match kicks off at 6:45 p.m., with German referee Tobias Stieler, a 45-year-old native of Obertshausen, officiating.

LASK began its European campaign in the qualifying rounds, pulling off a surprise upset against Celtic: after a 0-3 loss in Scotland, the Austrian club managed to win the second leg 5-1 in extra time, thus returning to the main stage of Europe’s top competition for the first time in sixty years. Their season opener, however, was a disappointment: Dietmar Kühbauer’s team lost 1-0 on the road against AEK, with former Empoli and Cagliari player Razvan Marin scoring the decisive goal.

Liverpool, on the other hand, kicked off its 2026–2027 European campaign with a 2–1 home win over Atlético Madrid, coming back from Marcos Llorente’s goal thanks to flashes of brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. Andoni Iraola’s team, however, has been experiencing ups and downs, and the heavy defeat against City—which was compounded by being a man down following Gravenberch’s controversial second yellow card at 0-0 in the 62nd minute—has reignited some internal tension in the locker room: It will be crucial to get a result in Austria to avoid sparking a crisis.

Probable Lineups

LASK Linz (3-5-2): Jungwirth; Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade; Jorgensen, Ljubicic, Bogarde, Horvath, Dibango; Kalajdzic, Lang. Head Coach: Kühbauer.

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Barcola, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Koumas. Coach: Iraola.