Arne Slot has named a robust beginning lineup for every of Liverpool’s 5 Champions League video games so far, however it’s a tactic he could possibly be pressured to reevaluate subsequent season.
The Reds are the one facet with an unblemished file in Europe’s premier competitors after 5 video games, changing into the primary to ensure a knockout place.
Slot has persistently named sturdy XIs, explaining that he’s “pushing actually onerous to finish up within the prime eight” to skip the two-legged playoff spherical in February.
From there, Liverpool could be seeded within the draw, however there aren’t any ensures as to the standard of the opponent they’ll face as it’s closely decided by the league section.
It’s why Slot revealed he could possibly be led to rethink his group choice selections within the competitors ought to a end excessive within the desk nonetheless result in a “very tough draw.”
“It’s so tough to say something about this,” Slot began on the significance of ending prime of the Champions League desk.
“I’ve stated it many occasions, however on the finish of the season you may decide it in the absolute best means – if it’s useful to finish up within the prime eight, and if it’s useful to finish up as No. 1.
“After all, it appears to be actually useful to finish up within the first eight, but when each time you play your starters, which now we have carried out till now nearly each time, you then additionally want the outcomes.
“We strive to do that to, to start with, to be within the highest attainable place, but in addition to skip the following spherical.
“If in the long run, it means by taking part in your starters all the time, skipping that spherical and nonetheless having a really tough draw, then we possibly are going to consider it otherwise subsequent season, what we’re going to do within the group stage.
“That’s one thing now we have to attend and see on the finish of the season, the place it will lead us.
“To start with, we wish to keep within the prime eight and, due to this fact, we predict we want a win – and the primary probability now we have is tomorrow evening.”
As per UEFA, the league section seeding place will decide a membership’s path via to the ultimate. The upper a group finishes within the league section, the upper their seeding place will likely be for the knockout rounds.
The Reds are two factors clear on the prime of the Champions League desk, whereas the likes of Bayern Munich (14th), Atletico Madrid (fifteenth), Man Metropolis (seventeenth), Actual Madrid (twenty fourth) and PSG (twenty fifth) all have work to do and will but make for a tricky draw later down the road.