Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Liverpool welcome Red Star Belgrade to Anfield on Wednesday evening, for what should be an interesting Champions League group game. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have emerged as one of the Premier League’s title contenders this season, and they currently sit in second place in the league table, level on points with Manchester City. On Saturday, they won 1-0 away at Huddersfield Town in the league. They lost 1-0 at Napoli in their last Champions League game, but did open their group stage campaign with an exciting 3-2 win at home to Paris St Germain.
Red Star top the Serbian domestic league table, with 34 points from 12 games. In the Champions League, their fortunes have been mixed. They opened their group stage campaign with a goalless draw at home to Napoli, before getting thrashed 6-1 by PSG in Paris in their second outing. A trip to Anfield will be tough for the Serbian side.
Liverpool vs Red Star Belgrade Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Red Star
Although Red Star managed to frustrate Napoli in their first Champions League group game, they enjoyed home advantage for that game. Playing away in Paris against PSG, the Serbs were well beaten, and that game is likely to give a better indication of how things might turn out at Anfield on Wednesday evening. Liverpool are in genuinely good form in the Premier League, and look a better side than the team which reached the Champions League final last season. We think that the Reds will race into a comfortable lead before half-time, with the visitors managing to score a consolation goal late on.
Our recommended tip: Liverpool win, both teams score
We think that the Reds will be too strong for the team from Belgrade this Wednesday. Liverpool will score several goals, and will run out comfortable winners, in our view. Home advantage will prove crucial in determining the outcome of this match. Under Jurgen Klopp, though, the Reds do have a tendency to concede goals when the game looks to have been won. We therefore believe that Red Star have a good chance of scoring at least once in defeat. Odds of 13-8 on a Liverpool win, but with both teams scoring, look very tempting indeed.
Previous matches
Red Star fans will have fond memories of the only previous meeting between these teams in a competitive European fixture. Back in October 1973, when Liverpool were still managed by Bill Shankly, and were yet to become the European giants they are now, Red Star faced the men from Merseyside in the second round of the old European Cup. The Serbian club won the first leg in Belgrade 2-1. They repeated that winning scoreline at Anfield in the second leg, to secure an aggregate 4-2 victory and reach the next round of the competition. Bayern Munich won the competition that season.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Mohamed Salah & Richmond Boakye
Mohamed Salah continues to be Liverpool’s main star in attack, with the Egyptian having netted four goals in nine Premier League games so far this season. He has also provided one assist in the Premier League. He netted the only goal of the game in the Reds’ 1-0 win away at Huddersfield at the weekend. He is yet to score in Europe this season, though, and will be looking to break that duck against Red Star on Wednesday evening.
Ghanaian striker Richmond Boakye netted two goals for Red Star at the weekend, in their 3-1 Serbian Superliga win at home to Rad. The centre-forward has been in great goalscoring form for Red Star, netting five goals in four appearances. He has also provided one assist. Red Star will need him to show some of his domestic form in the Champions League if they want to make any headway in the competition this season.
