Liverpool has long been a powerhouse in the football world. Indeed, we’re already used to seeing the Reds playing decisive matches in the Champions League, having raised the trophy six times – the joint-third most of any club in Europe, surpassed only by AC Milan and Real Madrid.
The last time LFC won the continent’s flagship club competition was in 2019, so Liverpool fans are already missing those glorious times.
Can Liverpool climb back to the top of the European tree in 2025? Keep reading and find out.
Red Hot Goals
It’s official: Liverpool will be in the Champions League again next season after playing in the Europa League in 2023/24. Qualifying for the latter is no mean feat, though, when you look at some of the other clubs who didn’t qualify for the Champions League, but the team led by Jurgen Klopp until last month is capable of more.
Indeed, the season was a bittersweet one for the Reds, who won the Carabao Cup after defeating Chelsea in the final but were defeated by Man United in the FA Cup and Atalanta in the Europa League. Unfortunately, the final few weeks of the campaing were a struggle, with defeats to Everton and Crystal Palace and a draw against West Ham going a long way towards their Premier League title challenge fading out to anticlimax.
The tide is changing for Liverpool, though. Having finished third in the top flight, the Reds seem ready to face the elite of European football once again. LFC fans can barely wait to see the club on Bet Champions League sites and what the odds will look like.
New Champions
Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool a few months ago, having led the club for almost nine years, but he claimed to be “running out of energy” and unable to maintain his previous levels of performance.
The German won’t be around for the Champions League 2024/25, with Arne Slot leading the team instead. However, a few things will have changed from the last time the Reds played in the competition.
The number of clubs involved will increase from 32 to 36, playing eight group-stage matches in a single league table format. The top eight teams will go straight into the round of 16, while the bottom 12 will be eliminated. The remaining clubs will have a second chance to stay in the competition in a two-legged playoff round. UEFA’s new format also prevents two teams from the same country from meeting before the end of the group stage.
What to Expect From Arne Slot?
Slot’s arrival marks the end of the Klopp era, and the Dutchman has quite big shoes to fill, but he seems fit for the challenge. Thanks to his effective and exuberant football, he has twice been named his country’s Manager of the Year, although his job specification at Liverpool is head coach. This means he’ll be able to imprint his style onto the club but is unlikely to have the final word about transfers.
Nevertheless, the 45-year-old has an enviable track record, and we don’t doubt that he can build a solid and competitive team. He also seems to be focused on long-term development, as he showed at previous club Feyenoord. He’ll find plenty of existing talents in the Reds’ squad, and any new signings must fit into his philosophy and playing style.
Slot built his reputation in Dutch football, creating fiercely offensive squads with a very intense playing style. His favourite formation is the 4-2-3-1, which isn’t so different from what Klopp usually applied. The two also have similar views about the role of wingers, who should be dynamic and creative. Feyenoord’s success in the Eredivisie after two seasons under Slot confirms the effectiveness of his approach.
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From Feyenoord to Liverpool
Analysing Feyenoord’s statistics can reveal much about Slot’s philosophy and style, with the Rotterdam club outstanding in possession and boasting a proactive attack.
Slot’s personality is also very similar to Klopp’s – he’s funny, smiley and polite in general, possessing a natural charisma, but he’s very demanding with his players and doesn’t hesitate to remind them when they don’t deliver the expected performance. Nevertheless, he’s largely friendly, building harmony and team spirit in his squads.
He couldn’t be happier with his new role, as he openly admitted that leading an English club was one of his career goals. He also said the Premier League is the “best league in the world.” In this context, Liverpool was one of the best things which could have happened in his career.
Challenges Ahead
Slot will have a luxurious squad at Anfield, including names like Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, although the team has struggled with issues such as conceding the first goal, who plays as the number 10, and positional problems at centre-back and midfield.
Indeed, the Reds rode their luck at times in the Premier League this season, and many of their victories required comebacks – no club can pave its way to success by playing well for only half of a match.
The same problem plagued Klopp, as Liverpool conceded the first goal in 16 out of 38 Premier League matches. The troubling statistic is a clear symptom of a tactic flaw, and it will be up to Slot to fix that.
The Feyenoord example shows what the 45-year-old expects from his centre-backs. They must have excellent possession and enough technique to deliver short passes to midfielders – Ibrahima Konate has been criticised for doing exactly the opposite.
Slot will have to find a solution for Alexander-Arnold’s position due to the vice-captain’s amazing passing skills but flawed defensive technique. Klopp moved Trent to the midfield, and the new head coach is expected to find the position where the Englishman can play at his best.
If the Reds managed to secure their place in the Champions League for next season, even with so many flaws to address, fans have plenty of reason to believe that Liverpool have a realistic chance of winning a seventh European Cup in 2025.