Liverpool have more than pride at stake with Champions League records on line at Midtjylland

December 9, 2020
Jack Lusby

Liverpool could produce a number of first-team feats as they visit Midtjylland in the final game of their Champions League group, despite its nature as a ‘dead-rubber’.

The Reds have never won five games in a single group before and a win could also give them a record points haul of 15.

Their best is 14 set in the 2008/09 Champions League campaign with four wins and two draws.

They have never won all three away group games in 16 previous attempts nor have they gone a group stage without conceding an away goal.

Jota the key

Fifty percent of the goals scored by Liverpool players this season in Europe have come from Diogo Jota.

Mo Salah has scored two, Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones one each, with the other of the nine an own goal in Amsterdam.

The most goals scored by a Liverpool player in the group stages came from Roberto Firmino (six in 2017/18), with Philippe Coutinho (five in 2017/18), Steven Gerrard (five in 2008/09) and Salah (five in 2017/18) not far behind.

Jota is one of five players on four, with a hat-trick tonight taking him clear for the record.

Teenage kicks

Last week Caoimhin Kelleher became the third-youngest Liverpool goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his European debut, and one of 10 players to do so.

Also the win over Ajax saw the first instance of a Liverpool teenager (Neco Williams) making an assist for another teenager (Curtis Jones) in the Champions League.

Jones scored his first European goal for Liverpool in the win over Ajax.

He became the third youngest-ever scorer for Liverpool in this competition aged 19 years, 306 days. Only Trent Alexander-Arnold (18 years, 312 days) and David N’Gog (19, years 252 days) were younger.

Billy the Kid

If he plays, Billy Koumetio could become the youngest to play for the club in the European Cup at the age of 18 years, 25 days.

He would surpass Antonio Barragan, who was 18 years, 59 days when he appeared in 2005.

Midtjylland’s record

Midtjylland were founded on February 2, 1999 and are younger than every Liverpool player who has played in Europe this season except Curtis Jones, Rhys Williams and Neco Williams.

They have met English clubs three times in their short history.

At home, they have lost 1-0 to Man City and beaten both Southampton (1-0) and Man United (2-1).

Coach Brian Priske made three appearances against Liverpool as a player in 2005/06 while with Portsmouth.

Tonight’s referee

The 31-year-old Francois Letexier (France) is taking charge of only his third Champions League match – the previous two in qualifying rounds.

Has never refereed Midtjylland or Liverpool before at first-team level, though he refereed Liverpool in the UEFA Youth League in 2017 when the young Reds won 4-0 at Sevilla.

Both Curtis Jones and Rhys Williams started that tie.