Andoni Iraola's Champions League Debut as Liverpool Head Coach
Andoni Iraola steps into the Champions League as Liverpool head coach for the first time tonight, and he does it under the Anfield lights against a familiar European antagonist: Atletico Madrid.
The stage is big. The opponent is awkward. The team news is significant.
Gakpo ruled out after late setback
Cody Gakpo had been the main question mark all week. He missed team training on Tuesday, with Liverpool insisting his absence was only precautionary. By this evening, that caution had hardened into a decision: he is out of the squad entirely.
The Netherlands forward, strongly linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer, has opened the season sharply. One goal and three assists in the Premier League, including both assists in the 2-0 win at Ipswich Town, underlined his importance in Iraola’s early plans.
Then came the twist.
Iraola revealed before kick-off that Gakpo has a minor adductor problem, picked up in that win at Ipswich. Speaking to TNT Sports, the Liverpool boss explained that the forward finished the game with issues “both sides” of his adductors and that, while it is “not a proper injury”, the club chose not to gamble on him tonight. The hope is that he will be available for Fulham at the weekend, or failing that, the following fixture.
Liverpool will miss his creativity, but Iraola has not hesitated to shuffle the deck.
Barcola handed full debut as Iraola tweaks his side
Bradley Barcola makes his first Liverpool start this evening, thrown straight into a Champions League opener at Anfield. The France forward is trusted from the off as Iraola makes two changes from the side that beat Ipswich on Friday.
Rio Ngumoha is the other player to come into the XI, injecting more fresh energy into the front line. Victor Munoz drops to the bench as Iraola looks to balance his attacking options without Gakpo.
It is a bold call, but the context invites it. Liverpool have finally worked out how to handle Diego Simeone’s Atletico. After managing just one win in their first six meetings with the Spanish side since 2008, they have now won the last three in a row. That recent record gives Iraola a platform, but not a guarantee. Atletico rarely come to Anfield to play the supporting role.
Injury list shapes Iraola’s options
While Gakpo’s absence dominates the headlines, he is far from Liverpool’s only concern.
Hugo Ekitike remains a long-term absentee as he continues his recovery from the serious Achilles injury he suffered in April. His return still feels distant, and Iraola must build his forward line without him for the foreseeable future.
Joe Gomez is closer, but not quite ready. The defender has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the opening minutes of Liverpool’s first pre-season game. He returned to full training on Tuesday, a significant step, yet did not make the squad for tonight’s clash with Atletico. Liverpool will not rush him.
Conor Bradley is still out with the knee injury he sustained in January, while Giovanni Leoni continues his rehabilitation from a knee problem suffered last September. Both remain on the longer road back.
Selection is also shaped by registration. Federico Chiesa has yet to feature this season and was left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad entirely, with Wataru Endo also unavailable for the same reason. They are fit enough to be options domestically, but not tonight.
A new era under the lights
So Iraola walks into his first Champions League game as Liverpool head coach with a reshaped attack, a stretched squad, and a heavyweight opponent across the halfway line.
Anfield has seen this kind of tension before. Atletico Madrid have spoiled Liverpool nights here and suffered on others. The recent trend favours the Reds. The history warns against complacency.
With Barcola starting, Ngumoha promoted, and Gakpo watching on, Iraola’s first European selection already carries a clear message: this is his Liverpool now. How quickly it looks at home on the Champions League stage will set the tone for the months ahead.
