LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 15, 2021: Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates scoring the 1st goal during the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 1 game between Liverpool FC and AC Milan at Anfield. (Pic by Paul Currie/Propaganda)

Fortress Anfield primed as Liverpool’s European pedigree can hit formidable No. 37

Liverpool are no strangers to navigating a European tie having gained an advantage in the first leg and they’ll look to keep up their enviable record tonight.

The Reds have now extended their current run to seven successive European wins, for the first time since 2005/06. They could extend that to eight for the first time since October 1984 (that in a sequence of nine).

And in a promising omen for lay ahead, Liverpool have not conceded more than once in any of their last 14 games.

 

Can’t Bet Against Salah

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, February 23, 2022: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the third goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Mo Salah has scored in 10 of his last 12 Champions League appearances (12 goals in that sequence). He has 34 European goals in total for the club (all in this competition) and is chasing down Steven Gerrard’s club record of 41 in all European competitions.

Salah goes into this second leg game standing in 16th place on the Champions League all-time scorers list. He has 36 goals in his career.

He is also three goals away from recording 30 in a campaign for Liverpool for the third time in his five seasons at Anfield.

 

European Prowess

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, January 16, 2022: Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool have never lost a European tie after winning the first leg away from home (36 times).

Home and away they have only been eliminated four times from the 78 occasions they have taken an advantage into the second leg.

And only once have they been knocked out after holding a two-goal first-leg lead. The victors, controversially, were Inter Milan in the European Cup Semi-Final in 1965, Liverpool losing 3-0 in the San Siro after winning 3-1 at Anfield.

 

A Strong Record

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, November 24, 2021: Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara (#3) celebrates with team-mates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 5 game between Liverpool FC and FC Porto at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

This will be Liverpool’s 200th European game as the ‘home’ team, though that includes one in Budapest against RB Leipzig last season.

In the previous 198 at Anfield they have only lost by two goals, the margin Inter need to overcome this evening, seven times.

Liverpool are the only team in this season’s competition with a 100 percent win record. The two other clubs who won every group game, Ajax and Bayern Munich, drew their first leg match in this round.

 

A Tough Order for Inter…

MILAN, ITALY - Tuesday, February 15, 2022: Liverpool's Fabio Henrique Tavares 'Fabinho' (L) is challenged by Inter Milan's Hakan C?alhanog?lu during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC at the Stadio San Siro. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Inter are aiming to emulate Man United, who are the last team to come from a two-goal first-leg deficit to win a Champions League knockout tie. United won 3-1 at Paris Saint Germain in 2018/19 after losing 2-0 at home to go through on the, now defunct, away goals rule.

Inter have won three of the last eight ties in which they lost the first leg at home. They beat TPS Turku in 1987/88, Lyon (1997/98) and Bayern Munich in 2010/11 while Inter were holders of the trophy.

But Internazionale have lost both previous visits to Anfield – 3-1 in 1965 and 2-0 in 2008, both in this competition.

 

The Official

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, April 9, 2019: FC Porto's Felipe Augusto de Almeida Monteiro speaks with the referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 1st Leg match between Liverpool FC and FC Porto at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Today’s referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) has refereed four Liverpool games (two wins, one draw and one defeat), the last of which was the 2-0 home win v Porto in April 2019.

He has taken charge of one Inter game before, their 3-0 defeat at Tottenham in the Europa League in 2012/13. He reffed the England vs. Scotland game at last summer’s Euros.

 

This Season’s Scorers

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, March 4, 2022: Liverpool's Sadio Mané celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool: Salah 27, Jota 17, Mane 14, Minamino 9, Firmino 8, Fabinho 6, Origi 5, Henderson 3, Keita 3, Oxlade-Chamberlain 3, Van Dijk 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Thiago 2, Luis Diaz 1, Elliott 1, Gordon 1, Jones 1, Matip 1, Robertson 1, own goals 1

Inter: Dzeko 16, Lautaro Martinez 15, Calhanoglou 6, Sanchez 6, Perisic 5, Correa 4, Skriniar 4, Dumfries 3, Barella 2, Di Marco 2, Gagliardini 2, Vidal 2, Bastoni 1,
Brozovic 1, D’Ambrosio 1, Darmian 1, De Vrij 1, Ranocchia 1, Sensi 1, Vecino 1


* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).