While Liverpool will not retain their Premier League title this year, supporters believe a seventh European Cup could be secured at the Puskás Aréna on 30 May. Well, the Reds road to Budapest will be clear very soon, with the draw scheduled for Friday. As it stands, Liverpool could face Atlético Madrid, Galatasaray, or Juventus.
Having finished third in the Champions League league phase, Arne Slot's team have gone straight through to the round of 16, skipping the ongoing play-off round. They are also guaranteed to be at Anfield for the second leg of both the last 16 and quarter-final ties, albeit would be at home first for any potential semi-final.
The first leg of their last 16 tie, which will be on the continent, is scheduled for 10/11 March, with the return fixture on Merseyside taking place on 17/18 March. The full knockout stage draw will happen at UEFA HQ in Nyon on Friday at 11am (GMT) and here is who the Reds could come up against.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid have become familiar foes for Liverpool supporters in recent seasons, and the pair could be reunited next month. Los Colchoneros came through a pretty eventful two-legged tie to reach the last 16, first drawing 3-3 with Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion. Then, in Tuesday's early kick off, Diego Simeone's side got the job done, demolishing the Belgian side 4-1 at the Metropolitano, thanks to Alexander Sørloth's hat-trick.
Liverpool and Atleti have already met this season, doing so on matchday one of the league phase in September. That night, Slot's side led 2-0 after just six minutes, only for Marcos Llorente's double to pull it back to 2-2, stunning Anfield into silence, before a towering Virgil van Dijk header in injury time pinched the points.
Llorente's dog is actually called Anfield, given that he loves a visit to Merseyside, having also netted twice in March 2020 when los Rojiblancos dumped out Jürgen Klopp's team after extra time in the last match played before the coronavirus shutdown. So, despite lifting their sixth European Cup at the Metropolitano seven years ago, this is a reunion most Reds would prefer to avoid.
Galatasaray
Another team Liverpool have already faced in this season's competition in Galatasaray, and the pair could be set to meet again. Between 27 September and 29 October, Slot's side lost six of seven matches across all competitions, one of which came in İstanbul. That night, Victor Osimhen's first half penalty was the difference as the Turkish champions prevailed at a raucous Ali Sami Yen.
Well now, Galatasaray are on course to reach the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2013/14, doing so on only four occasions since 1970. That's because, last Tuesday, Okan Buruk's team hammered Juventus 5-2 in the first leg of their tie, thereby travelling to Turin with a commanding first leg advantage. Gala have thereby now won six of their last ten European home matches, losing only one, so it is very much not an easy place to go.
The Turkish giants have also only ever lost one of five previous encounters with Liverpool, a 3-2 defeat at Anfield in September 2006, winning both subsequent encounters. Thus, this would be far from an easy draw for the Premier League champions.
Juventus
If they are able to pull off a remontada against Galatasaray, Liverpool could end their wait for a meeting with Juventus. The clubs have met six times previously, their most historic encounter coming in the 1985 European Cup Final in Brussels. That fixture, a 1-0 win for la Vecchia Signora, was completely overshadowed by off-field violence at Heysel which saw 39 people killed and resulted in UEFA banning all English clubs for six years.
The duo have only met once subsequently, this coming at the quarter-final stage in 2005. Sami Hyypiä and Luis García were the scorers as Rafa Benítez's team prevailed 2-1 at home, before battling to a goalless draw at Stadio delle Alpi en route to İstanbul, and we all know what happened there.
Fast forward to today, Luciano Spalletti's team are without a win in five, losing four of them, thereby fifth in Serie A. Thus, the Bianconeri are unlikely to produce a comeback against Galatasaray but, even if they do, Juve are probably the team Liverpool would most like to face.