It will be an emotional night for Xabi Alonso as the returns to Anfield with Bayer Leverkusen looking to mastermind a UEFA Champions League victory over old club Liverpool.
Alonso was part of the Reds side who came back from the dead to beat AC Milan in the 2005 final, with the midfielder scoring one of Liverpool's three goals in the Miracle of Istanbul.
He pulled off another miraculous feat last season by steering Leverkusen through the entire domestic campaign without defeat as they completed the double in style.
Their only defeat in the entire campaign came to Atalanta in the Europa League Final but things haven't run quite so smoothly since the new season kicked off.
Levekusen have only won eight of their 15 games in all competitions so they will have to up their game against Arne Slot's slick Reds.
The Dutchman has got off to a flying start at Anfield, tasting defeat just once in 16 games, and their first three Champions League matches have all ended in victories. That has seen their odds on going all the way in Europe this season shorten to 10/1.
Another triumph against Leverkusen would see them plant one foot in the last 16 but Alonso will be determined to upset his former employers in what should be a cracking game.
How the bookies view it: Rampant Reds to keep on rolling
With Liverpool in such impressive form in both the Champions League and Premier League, they are Betano's 4/6 hot favourites for another win. Bayer Leverkusen look a little overpriced at 17/5 while the draw pays 31/10.
Head to head: An Anfield omen?
It has been two decades since these sides last faced off and Liverpool will be hoping for a repeat of their Champions League heroics that term. They won both games 3-1 against the German side in the last 16, en route to lifting the trophy in Turkey.
The only other meeting came three years earlier, with the Germans coming out on top that time with a 4-3 aggregate win after losing 1-0 in the first leg at Anfield.
Players to watch: Gakpo stepping up for Slot
Gody Gakpo has grown into a key player for Liverpool this season and Slot seems to be getting the best out of his fellow Dutchman. The winger has netted five times this term, including a goal against Brighton on Saturday, and is 21/10 for anytime scorer. He has plenty of digs from distance and backing him to score from outside the box boosts the odds to 11/1.
Florian Wirtz let us down on Friday when we flagged him up for a goal against Stuttgart as one of our Super Singles. But he's still a class act and could cause Liverpool plenty of problems. The Germany star is 3/1 at Betano to take his tally for the season to eight.
Probable line-ups
Ibrahima Konate went off with what looked like a bad arm injury against Brighton so I'd be surprised if he started here. Keeper Alisson remains out for Liverpool along with Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa. Wirtz and Victor Boniface both shook off injuries to face Stuttgart on Friday so they should be fit to play at Anfield. But Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian are still sidelined.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Van Dijk, Konate, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Mac Allister, Salah, Gakpo, Gravenberch, Jones, Nunez.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Hincapie, Tah, Tapsoba, Andrich, Grimaldo, Hoffman, Xhaka, Wirtz, Boniface, Frimpong.
Anything else catch the eye?
This is a game that promises goals, although most people thought the same about Leverkusen's clash with Stuttgart and that ended in a 0-0 draw. The bookies clearly think it will be an open game, with BTTS and over 2.5 goals paying just 33/40 at Betano.
The half-time draw has come up in Leverkusen's last two Champions League games so that could be worth a punt here at 6/4 with Betfred. The same firm also offer evens on most goals coming after the break.
Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich is usually good value for a card and has picked up four yellows already this term. He's 11/5 at Bet365 to go into the book again.
This UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Nov 5, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
