Liverpool v Atletico LIVE: Champions League team news and build-up with Bradley Barcola poised for full debut

Ins: Bradley Barcola (£123m), Jeremy Jacquet (£55m), Victor Munoz (£34.5m), Lucca Brughmans (£30m), Ifeanyi Ndukwe (undisclosed fee), Ronald Araujo (loan), Samuel Martinez (joining in 2027)

Outs: Curtis Jones (£25.7m), Stefan Bajcetic (undisclosed fee), Calvin Ramsay (loan), Ifeanyi Ndukwe (loan), Kieran Morrison (loan), Calum Scanlon (loan), Mohamed Salah (free), Amara Nallo (loan), Armin Pecsi (loan), Luca Stephenson (undisclosed fee), Carter Pinnington (undisclosed fee), Ibrahima Konate (free), Andy Robertson (free), DJ Bernard (free), Rhys Williams (released), Lucca Brughmans (loan), Harvey Elliott (loan), Keyrel Figueroa (loan)

Verdict: The long-awaited signing of Bradley Barcola brings an injection of excitement into Liverpool’s window but, as so adeptly described by my colleague Adam Clery in his latest YouTube video, it’s a bit like buying a Ferrari while your house is burning to the ground. The Reds remain conspicuously short in defensive midfield and at right-back, though they did strengthen in central defence with Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo. Victor Munoz looks a strong wing option further forward – but it is somewhat questionable that they’ve not brought in a left-footed wide option to replace Mohamed Salah. – Kieran Jackson

Iraola makes two changes for Liverpool: as mentioned Bradley Barcola makes his full debut with Rio Ngumoha joining him in the starting XI.

Victor Munoz drops to the bench and Cody Gakpo, who missed training yesterday as a precaution, is not included in the squad at all.

Bradley Barcola makes his first Liverpool start, meaning they will field three £100m men in the same side, along with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

Andoni Iraola has made a double change on the flanks, with Rio Ngumoha also coming in, so it will be interesting to see whether he or Barcola is on the right.

For Atletico, it is notable that Julian Alvarez makes his first start of the season, and after a summer when he has tried to join Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Llorente, Hancko, Romero, Pubil, Barios, Koke, Simeone, Baena, Alvarez, Lee

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Aliister, Szoboszlai, Barcola, Ngumoha, Wirtz, Isak

We’ll have team news shortly… in the mean time, in the earlier fixtures today, Stuttgart are 3-1 up against Viking at half-time and Barcelona lead Feyenoord 2-0.

Barcola continues Liverpool’s heavy investment over the past two years, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz brought in for more than £100m last summer.

Capped 28 times by France, Barcola was part of the PSG side that won back-to-back Champions League crowns in 2025 and 2026, featuring off the bench in both finals.

Three minutes: is that all it takes to kickstart a career? For all the pre-match talk and excitement surrounding Liverpool’s star signing of the summer in Bradley Barcola, Friday night under the Suffolk lights was finally time for the joint-most expensive purchase in English football history to make his first significant mark in Merseyside red. It’s only taken him 12 months.

What a morale-boosting evening this was for Alexander Isak at Portman Road. Loitering tantalisingly on the shoulder of a beleaguered Ipswich defence, the Sweden international notched two goals in three first-half minutes here – his first brace for Liverpool and just his fifth and sixth Premier League goals since that £125m move from Newcastle – to set Andoni Iraola on his way to a comfortable first Premier League victory in the Reds dugout.

Kieran Jackson reported from Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Ipswich:

Alexis Mac Allister revealed Liverpool made him sad when they told him they were not in a position to offer him a new deal and said he had options to leave Anfield in the summer.

But whereas Liverpool spent over £200m on new signings Bradley Barcola, Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz and gave his fellow midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai a new five-year deal, they informed Mac Allister there was no offer to him.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Grimaldo; Koke, Hjulmand; Simeone, Baena, Lookman; David