Liverpool are looking to secure their second consecutive victory in the UEFA Champions League today as they host Bologna at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s team made a strong start in the competition this season, impressively coming from behind to defeat AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro. Centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté scored to turn the match around after Christian Pulisic’s early goal, with Dominik Szoboszlai adding a third later in the second half.
In that match, Liverpool vs Bologna registered 11 shots on target, marking the highest tally for a Premier League side in their first Champions League match under a new manager since Manchester City under Pep Guardiola in September 2016, who also managed 11 shots.
The Reds will be confident of adding another three points to their Champions League tally, particularly given their strong home record in recent European competitions. They have won their last 10 group-stage matches at Anfield, scoring two or more goals in each of the last nine.
Bologna, making their Champions League debut this season, played to a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in their opener. Despite taking 17 shots, they struggled to find the back of the net, with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski saving a fourth-minute penalty to prevent a loss.
In Serie A, Bologna are unbeaten in their last four league matches, though they have only secured one victory, a 2-1 win at Monza. Their most recent match saw them draw 1-1 with Atalanta after a late equalizer from Lazar Samardzic.
Liverpool currently top the Premier League after a 2-1 win at Wolves on Saturday, with Konaté scoring his first league goal and Mohamed Salah converting a penalty. They sit one point ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal, boasting five wins and one loss in their opening six league games under Slot.
This will be the first-ever encounter between Liverpool vs Bologna, making the Italian side the Reds’ 10th different opponent from Italy in European competitions. Bologna have faced three English teams in the past, their most recent clash being against Fulham in the 2002 Intertoto Cup.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Liverpool are considered heavy favorites for this match, with a 74.8% chance of winning based on 10,000 pre-match simulations. Bologna has a 10.4% chance of pulling off a victory, while a draw is projected to occur 14.8% of the time.