Plenty has changed for both of these teams since they were last in Champions League action in December, but Liverpool in particular will be hoping that the return of European football will bring about another change in fortune. However, the likelihood of being crowned kings of Europe for a seventh time appears to diminish with each passing game at the moment, with those three successive defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City and Leicester leaving Liverpool in a serious battle to secure their place in this competition again next season, yet alone win it this term.
Needless to say Liverpool could do without facing the toughest Bundesliga nut to crack. The defending Premier League champions have recorded one win in their last eight, while Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Leicester City was their third in a row. They sit fourth, some 13 points behind leaders Man City, not helped by the second leakiest defence in the top half of the standings (32 conceded). Even with 14 rounds of fixtures remaining,
The midfielder has not figured since starting the win at Crystal Palace on December 19, but resumed full sessions alongside his teammates at the AXA Training Centre on Sunday. However, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Keita will not be among the players who travel to Hungary for the last-16, first-leg encounter against his former club and will instead remain on Merseyside to continue to increase his sharpness. “Naby is no longer injured but he’s not fit yet,” said the boss on Monday. “He was in training yesterday but it’s not sufficient yet. “We will be away for two days and he will be in training; it’s better than flying with us. Of course Naby would have liked to be there when it’s against Leipzig.”
Match: RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
Competition: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg
Date: February 16, 2021
Kick-off time: 8:00 pm, February 16, 2021 (UK time)
Stadium: Puskás Aréna (Budapest, Hungary)
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