Liverpool v Salzburg facts

Liverpool relied on their home form to get through the 2018/19 group stage and could well find themselves in the same position this time round having lost away in their first Group E fixture – although their matchday two opponents Salzburg should present a considerable obstacle.

• While Liverpool were opening their defence of the UEFA Champions League by losing at Napoli for the second year in a row, Salzburg marked their first appearance in the competition proper for 25 years with an impressive 6-2 dismantling of Genk.

• This is the clubs' first meeting, and Liverpool's first match against an Austrian club for more than 15 years, while Salzburg have never beaten English opposition.

Form guide
Liverpool
• The defeat at Napoli made it four successive away group stage defeats for Liverpool, whose last away win at this stage of the UEFA Champions League came via a 7-0 success at Maribor on matchday three of the 2017/18 edition. That is their sole win away from Anfield in their last ten group matches (D3 L6).

• Jürgen Klopp's team lost all three away games in last season's group stage, but were rescued by three wins at Anfield as they edged out Napoli on goal difference. They then beat Bayern München 3-1 away in the second leg of their round of 16 tie, going through by the same aggregate score, before ousting Porto 6-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals (2-0 h, 4-1 a). The journey looked to be over when the Reds went down 3-0 at Barcelona in the semi-final first leg, but two goals apiece from Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi sealed a rousing second-leg turnaround, before Mohamed Salah and Origi secured the club's sixth European Cup with a 2-0 final defeat of Tottenham in Madrid.

• Liverpool had won five successive home UEFA Champions League fixtures, beating Paris Saint-Germain (3-2), Crvena zvezda (4-0) and, decisively, Napoli (1-0) in last season's group stage, before drawing 0-0 against Bayern in the round of 16 first leg; they have won both matches at Anfield since, and are unbeaten in 22 European home matches (W16 D6), since a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on 22 October 2014. They have not conceded in their last five UEFA Champions League games at Anfield.

• The Reds have won their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring 18 goals.

• This is Liverpool's fourth home match against an Austrian club; they scored four goals in each of the first two but lost the most recent, going down 1-0 against Grazer AK in the third qualifying round second leg of their victorious 2004/05 UEFA Champions League campaign; the Reds progressed having won the away game 2-0.

• Premier League runners-up in 2018/19, finishing a single point behind Manchester City, Liverpool are in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 12th time; they have only failed to progress to the last 16 or further three times.

• Liverpool have already claimed European silverware this term, beating Chelsea 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul.

Salzburg
• Having not featured in the group stage since 1994/95, Salzburg returned with a bang thanks to a 6-2 win against Genk, scoring five goals in the first half – only the seventh team to do so in the UEFA Champions League.

• Erling Braut Haaland's three goals made him the eighth player to score a UEFA Champions League debut hat-trick, and the first to do so in the first half. Aged 19 years 58 days, the Norwegian is the third youngest player to score a UEFA Champions League hat-trick, behind Raúl González (18 years 113 days) and Wayne Rooney (18 years 340 days).

• The Austrian club won a sixth successive Bundesliga title in 2018/19 – their 13th overall – adding the Austrian Cup to complete a domestic double for the sixth time, all since 2011/12. As Austrian champions, Salzburg qualified automatically for the group stage.

• Salzburg's sole previous UEFA Champions League group stage appearance came in 1994/95, their European Cup debut, when they finished third in a group involving eventual winners Ajax, a Milan side who went on to lose to the Dutch club in the final, and AEK Athens. With two points then awarded for a win, Salzburg picked up five from their six matches, a 3-1 victory away to AEK their sole success.

• Of Salzburg's seven consecutive eliminations in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds between 2012/13 and 2018/19, three took place in the play-offs, including last season's defeat against Crvena zvezda (0-0 a, 2-2 h).

• The Austrian club therefore moved into the UEFA Europa League, a competition in which they had reached the semi-finals in 2017/18, and won all six of their group games for the third time – a competition record – to head a section including Celtic, Leipzig and Rosenborg. Marco Rose's side then beat Belgium's Club Brugge in the round of 32 (1-2 a, 4-0 h), but a 3-0 first-leg loss at Napoli in the last 16 proved their undoing despite a 3-1 home win.

• Salzburg have therefore lost their last two European away games, but suffered only two defeats in the previous 17 (W9 D6).

• Salzburg are unbeaten in seven UEFA Champions League away games (W4 D3), all qualifiers, since a 3-0 loss at Malmö in the 2015/16 third qualifying round second leg.

• Salzburg have lost their last three matches against Premier League sides without scoring, including both previous matches in England, going down 2-0 at Blackburn in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup first round second leg (2-4 aggregate) and 3-0 at Manchester City in the UEFA Europa League group stage in 2010/11. A 2-2 first-leg draw at home to Blackburn in September 2006 is the only time they have avoided defeat by an English club.

Links and trivia
• Sadio Mané was a Salzburg player between 2012 and 2014, scoring 31 goals in 63 league games and winning the Austrian league and cup double in 2013/14.

• Naby Keïta was in the Salzburg team that won back-to-back Austrian doubles in 2014/15 and 2015/16, and was named Austrian Bundesliga player of the year in his second and final season at the club.

• Salzburg assistant coach René Aufhauser was in the GAK side that won at Anfield in 2004, the first time an Austrian side had triumphed in England.

• Patrick Farkas was sent off in Austria's 4-0 defeat by an England side including substitute Jordan Henderson in an Under-21 friendly in March 2013.

• Wijnaldum scored in the Netherlands' 2-0 friendly victory against Zlatko Junuzović's Austria in 2016.

• Roberto Firmino got the winner as Brazil beat Junuzović and Austria 2-1 in a 2014 friendly.

Latest news

Liverpool
• Summer transfers
In: Harvey Elliott (Fulham), Sepp van den Berg (Zwolle), Adrián (West Ham)
Out: Daniel Sturridge (Trabzonspor), Alberto Moreno (Villarreal), Ádám Bogdán (released), Danny Ings (Southampton), Sheyi Ojo (Rangers, loan), Rafael Camacho (Sporting CP), Marko Grujić (Hertha Berlin, loan), Ben Woodburn (Oxford United, loan), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Harry Wilson (Bournemouth, loan), Taiwo Awoniyi (Mainz), Ovie Ejaria (Reading, loan), Bobby Duncan (Fiorentina), Ryan Kent (Rangers)

• James Milner made his 100th appearance in UEFA club competition on matchday one, when Xherdan Shaqiri played his 50th European match.

• Liverpool are the only team with maximum points after seven games of the new Premier League season and are five points clear of Manchester City. They were 1-0 winners at Sheffield United on Saturday.

• Liverpool have won each of their opening seven league games in a season for only the second time, having won the first eight in 1990/91. They are only the second team to do so in the Premier League after Chelsea's nine-match winning streak at the start of 2005/06.

• Georginio Wijnaldum got the only goal at Sheffield United, his 22nd in the Premier League and only his third away from home.

• Liverpool were the first team in the history of the English top flight to win their first six matches in successive seasons.

• The Merseyside club have won their last 16 Premier League matches, and are unbeaten in 24 league fixtures (W20 D4), since a 2-1 loss at Manchester City on 3 January.

• Liverpool were 2-0 winners at MK Dons in the English League Cup third round on 25 September, 17-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever scoring his first senior goal. They will be at home to Arsenal in the fourth round in the week commencing 28 October.

• Summer signing Harvey Elliott made his Liverpool debut at MK Dons; aged 16 years 174 days, he was the youngest player to start a game for Liverpool.

• Caoimhin Kelleher and Rhian Brewster also made their first Liverpool appearances at MK Dons, as did substitutes Herbie Kane and Sepp van den Berg.

• The Reds kicked off the season by losing 5-4 on penalties to English champions Manchester City after a 1-1 draw in the FA Community Shield at Wembley on 4 August.

• Liverpool did come out on top on spot kicks against Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup on 14 August, prevailing 5-4 after a 2-2 draw in Istanbul.

• Naby Keïta returned at MK Dons having been sidelined with a groin problem picked up in the Community Shield on 4 August.

• Alisson Becker has been out since suffering a calf injury in Liverpool's 4-1 home win against Norwich on the first day of the Premier League season on 9 August.

• Divock Origi returned as a substitute on Saturday having been out with an ankle injury since 14 September.

• Shaqiri has not played since matchday one due to a calf complaint.

• Virgil van Dijk was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for 2018/19 in Monaco on 29 August; the Dutchman also collected the Defender of the Season award, with Alisson taking the Goalkeeper's prize.

Salzburg
• Summer transfers
In: Rasmus Kristensen (Ajax), Maximilian Wöber (Sevilla)
Out: Munas Dabbur (Sevilla), Hannes Wolf (RB Leipzig), Stefan Lainer (Mönchengladbach), Xaver Schlager (Wolfsburg), David Atanga (Holstein Kiel), Mathias Honsak (Darmstadt), Asger Sørensen (Nürnberg), Igor (SPAL), Fredrik Gulbrandsen (İstanbul Başakşehir), Christoph Leitgeb (Sturm Graz), Darko Todorović (Holstein Kiel, loan), Ousmane Diakité (Altach, loan), Diadie Samassékou (Hoffenheim)

• Salzburg's nine-match winning run this season was ended by a 2-2 draw at LASK on 22 September.

• They returned to winning ways three days later with a 2-1 extra-time success away to nine-man Rapid Wien in the second round of the Austrian Cup, Takumi Minamino scoring a 121st-minute winner.

• Matchday one was Erling Braut Haaland's fourth hat-trick of the season. The 19-year-old has scored 17 goals in ten club appearances in 2019/20.

• Salzburg, who were 4-1 winners at home to Austria Wien on Saturday, have scored at least two goals in every competitive game this season, and four or more goals in nine of their 12 matches.

• Sekou Koita, who scored twice against Austria Wien, has four goals in five Austrian Bundesliga appearances.

• Hee-Chan Hwang came on as a substitute on Saturday, his first appearance since matchday one due to an eye injury.

• Marin Pongračić (thigh) had not featured since the middle of August before playing 68 minutes on Saturday.

• Antoine Bernede fractured his shin in the cup game at Rapid.

• Alexander Walke (broken metatarsal) has been out since mid-June.