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Why the Champions League could once again prove Liverpool's salvation ahead of Qarabag showdown
Liverpool’s 13-match unbeaten run was ended by a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, but could the Champions League once again prove their salvation?
The six-time champions of Europe are fourth in the standings and appear near certainties to qualify automatically for the last 16 ahead of their Matchday 8 visit of Qarabag.
Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall analyses their campaign so far and why Reds fans could soon be dreaming of European glory again.
Huge recruitment drive to bolster a champion squad
Liverpool spent a staggering £446million – the biggest summer spending spree in European football history – on the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Isak, though, struggled to make any real impression before being sidelined by a fractured fibula and ankle surgery following an injury against Tottenham in late December.
After a sluggish start, Wirtz has shown signs in recent weeks that he can cut it in the Premier League, while Ekitike has also proved a success, but overall Liverpool's recruitment has yet to justify the vast sums spent in the summer.
Out went the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Caoimhín Kelleher for around £210million in what represented a major overhaul of a squad that had just been crowned Premier League champions.
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Devastating loss of Diogo Jota still being keenly felt
Do not underestimate how deeply the death of Jota has affected many of Liverpool’s players this season.
The Portugal winger was killed in a car crash last July at the age of 28.
Left-back Andy Robertson spoke with raw emotion about Jota’s loss after Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in November.
Jota's loss has been felt deeply in football and human terms by the Liverpool squad.
Liverpool
Worst run for 71 years
Liverpool made a fine start to the season, winning their opening seven games in all competitions.
They then hit trouble at the end of September with a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace.
That began a run of four successive losses and, although the Reds picked up some big wins away to Eintracht Frankfurt and at home to Aston Villa and Real Madrid, losing became an unwanted habit.
When Slot's side were thumped 4-1 at Anfield by PSV Eindhoven on November 26, it marked a ninth defeat in 12 games in all competitions.
For a club of Liverpool's size and stature, that was simply shocking and signalled their worst run of form for 71 years.
Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images
Salah saga an unwanted distraction
After Liverpool drew 3-3 with Leeds United in early December, Mohamed Salah spoke to a group of waiting journalists in what appeared to be a deliberate, premeditated diatribe against his club and manager.
Having been left on the bench for the game with Daniel Farke’s side, Salah let rip in sensational fashion afterwards.
He said someone at the club wants him out, admitted his relationship with Slot has completely broken down and claimed that he deserved to be treated better.
Salah, known affectionately as the ‘Egyptian King’ to supporters, later headed off to the African Cup of Nations and is now back in the first-team fold at Anfield, with his future at the club beyond this season apparently on hold until the summer.
Relations between Salah and Slot have clearly thawed, but the whole saga was something the club did not need.
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A return to winning ways, if not necessarily top form
Despite the Salah saga, which cast a huge shadow over the club, Liverpool won four games in succession after the drama in the mixed zone at Elland Road.
That included a 1-0 victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League, where they continued to tick along quite nicely.
Last week's impressive 3-0 success at Marseille marked their fifth win from seven games in this season's Champions League.
Moreover, beating Marseille made it 13 games unbeaten in all competitions and meant Liverpool will guarantee a place in the last 16 of the Champions League by beating Qarabag on Wednesday night.
They have not always been particularly convincing during that recent unbeaten sequence, which was ended by a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, but it showed their potential.
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Could the Reds go all the way?
Let it be remembered that Liverpool enjoy a special relationship with European football's premier competition and have won it six times.
That is more than any other British club, and some of their results in this season's Champions League prove they can turn it on against some of the best sides in Europe when in the mood.
Take their wins over Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Marseille.
In 2004-05, Rafael Benitez memorably guided Liverpool to European glory in Istanbul with a team that finished fifth in the Premier League and was not universally regarded as a stellar Reds team.
It featured players such as Igor Biscan, Djimi Traore and Milan Baros, but that team won Liverpool their fifth European Cup.
Could the current crop, under the guidance of Slot, achieve similar immortality by going all the way in this season's competition? You wouldn't rule it out.
Full Champions League fixture list for Matchday 8
Wednesday, 28 January
- Ajax v Olympiakos
- Arsenal v Kairat Almaty
- Athletic Bilbao v Sporting CP
- Atlético Madrid v FK Bodø/Glimt
- Barcelona v FC Copenhagen
- Bayer Leverkusen v Villarreal
- Benfica v Real Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund v Inter Milan
- Club Brugge v Olympique Marseille
- Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur
- Liverpool v FK Qarabağ
- Manchester City v Galatasaray
- Monaco v Juventus
- Napoli v Chelsea
- PSV Eindhoven v Bayern Munich
- Pafos v Slavia Prague
- Paris St Germain v Newcastle United
- Union Saint-Gilloise v Atalanta
How to watch Athletic Club vs Sporting in the USA on DAZN
Soccer fans in the US can watch Athletic Club vs Sporting in the Champions League in Spanish language as part of their DAZN subscription package.
An annual upfront payment is $224.99 , while paying monthly for 12 months is $19.99 and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in English language this season. You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.
Fans can watch extra Champions League games in Spanish on ViX. A selection of those matches are also available on UNIMÁS and TUDN.
How to watch the Champions League in New Zealand on DAZN
Every Champions League game during the 2025-26 season is streamed in high definition and comes as part of a DAZN subscription.
An annual subscription costs $14.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN
Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, each offering a different selection of sports. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
