Liverpool discover nightmare route to Budapest UCL final

Liverpool have already faced both potential opponents during the league phase, so there is no mystery about what the atmosphere and challenge can look like.

Our recent record is stronger against Atletico Madrid, where Liverpool have three wins and two draws in the last five meetings, including a 3-2 win at Anfield in September.

Galatasaray have been more awkward for us historically, with one win, two draws and two defeats across the last five, and that includes a 1-0 defeat away in September.

That context matters because “tough” comes in different forms, with Atletico bringing the structure and game management that can make a tie feel claustrophobic, while Galatasaray can turn the first leg into a chaotic night where the crowd and momentum become the story.

The Champions League draw gives Liverpool two different brackets

The bigger talking point is not only who we play next, but which side of the bracket we land on after Friday’s draw.

The silver path begins with Galatasaray, but it places us in a section that could feature PSG, Barcelona or Chelsea in the quarter-finals, and then a semi-final possibility list that includes Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Arsenal.

The blue path begins with Atletico Madrid, which is arguably the harder last-16 tie, yet the locked-in names on that side include Newcastle United, Bodo/Glimt and Bayer Leverkusen, making it look less intimidating on paper if the other results fall kindly.

It is still the Champions League, so there is no safe route, but it is easy to sketch out a worst-case and see why Liverpool supporters will be watching Friday’s draw closely.

The toughest-looking scenario is Galatasaray first, then PSG, then a semi-final against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Arsenal, before a final that could still include Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Arsenal.

At the same time, the logic remains the same no matter the colours of the bracket: if Liverpool want to win this competition, we have to beat elite sides sooner or later, and the run-in is now starting to take shape while we prepare to face West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday.