Liverpool v Genk facts

Having ended their losing away streak in the UEFA Champions League group stage at Genk last time out, a repeat performance on home soil, where they have a 100% success rate against Belgian opposition, will put Liverpool in a strong position to progress from Group E.

• The holders had lost four successive away group games before the trip to Belgium, but an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal early in each half put them in control, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah both striking in the closing stages. Although the last word went to the home side, Stephen Odey scoring an 88th-minute consolation, it could not spare Genk a record home defeat in the UEFA Champions League.

• Liverpool are second in the standings on six points, one behind Napoli and three above Salzburg; Genk have one point.

Form guide
Liverpool
• The holders opened their defence of the trophy with a 2-0 loss at Napoli before edging out Salzburg in a seven-goal thriller, eventually prevailing 4-3 in a game in which they had led 3-0.

• 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 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 all three matches at Anfield since, and are unbeaten in 23 European home matches (W17 D6), since a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on 22 October 2014. The 4-3 win against Salzburg was the first time they had conceded in six UEFA Champions League games at Anfield.

• The Reds have won their last six home matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring 22 goals.

• This is Liverpool's first home game against a Belgian club since a 1-0 extra-time win against Standard Liège in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round second leg, Dirk Kuyt scoring the only goal of the tie in the 118th minute at Anfield.

• The win in Genk made it five victories in their last six matches against Belgian opponents (D1), since a 3-1 loss at Anderlecht in the 1978 UEFA Super Cup first leg, a tie Liverpool lost 4-3 on aggregate. That is Liverpool's sole defeat in a match with a Belgian club; their record otherwise is W11 D2 with wins in all six matches at Anfield, scoring 15 goals and conceding only four.

• Liverpool's second European Cup was secured with a 1-0 win against Club Brugge at Wembley in May 1978; they had beaten the same opponents over two legs of the UEFA Cup final two years earlier (3-2 h, 1-1 a).

• 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.

Genk
• Genk opened with a 6-2 defeat at Salzburg, their heaviest loss in continental competition since a 7-0 defeat at Valencia in the UEFA Champions League group stage in November 2011 – their biggest European defeat. The Belgian side held Napoli 0-0 on Matchday 2, but the home defeat by Liverpool means they have conceded 14 goals in their last four European fixtures, scoring four.

• Belgian champions for the fourth time in 2018/19, Genk have qualified automatically for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time, their previous appearances, in 2002/03 and 2011/12, having both involved at least one qualifying tie.

• The Belgian club are still awaiting their first victory in the UEFA Champions League proper. In 2002/03 they drew four of their six matches but still finished bottom of a section involving Real Madrid, Roma and AEK Athens; eight years later, they drew all three home games but lost all their away matches in a section also including Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Valencia.

• Genk have played more UEFA Champions League group stage matches without a win (15) than any other participating team.

• Genk have lost their last five UEFA Champions League away matches, qualifying included, going down at Chelsea (0-5), Valencia (0-7) and Salzburg (2-6) in the three most recent. A 1-0 success at Sarajevo in the 2007/08 second qualifying round second leg – a tie they lost on away goals having gone down 2-1 at home – is their sole away win in the competition (D3 L8), with nine goals scored and 39 conceded.

• In 2018/19 Genk won all six qualifying matches to reach the UEFA Europa League group stage – scoring 22 goals in the process – where they finished ahead of Malmö, Beşiktaş and Sarpsborg. Slavia Praha proved too strong in the round of 32, however, the Czech club winning 4-1 at the KRC Genk Arena after a goalless draw in Prague.

• Genk have won six of their last 12 European games on the road, losing only three.

• This is only Genk's fourth match against Premier League opponents; they held eventual winners Chelsea 1-1 at home in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage, having gone down 5-0 on their only previous visit to England.

Links and trivia
• Liverpool striker Origi spent nine years in Genk's youth system before signing for LOSC Lille in May 2010. He has won 27 caps for Belgium, scoring three goals, but has never played professionally for a club in his homeland.

• Ianis Hagi scored Romania's second goal in a 4-2 win against England at this summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Latest news

Liverpool
• Sadio Mané's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

• Liverpool have won ten of their 11 Premier League matches this season, the exception a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on 20 October. That ended the Merseyside club's run of 17 successive Premier League victories, one short of Manchester City's top-flight record.

• On Saturday the Reds came from behind to win 2-1 at Aston Villa, Andrew Robertson scoring an 87th-minute equaliser – his first Premier League goal since 13 May 2018 – before Mané's winner four minutes into added time.

• Liverpool are unbeaten in 28 league fixtures (W23 D5), since a 2-1 loss at City on 3 January; they play the champions at Anfield on 10 November.

• Mohamed Salah has four goals in his last five matches in all competitions.

• On 30 October Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the English League Cup with a 5-4 penalties win against Arsenal after a remarkable 5-5 draw at Anfield; that was only the second time in 66 years the Reds had conceded five goals in a game at Anfield, with the other occasion Arsenal's 6-3 League Cup victory in January 2007.

• Liverpool will travel to Aston Villa in the League Cup quarter-finals.

• Summer signing Harvey Elliott made his Liverpool debut in a 2-0 victory at MK Dons in the League Cup third round on 25 September; aged 16 years 174 days, he was the youngest player to start a game for Liverpool.

• 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.

• Joël Matip, who signed a new "long-term contract" on 18 October, has played only once since 28 September due to a knee injury.

• Xherdan Shaqiri has not played since Matchday 1 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.

Genk
• Genk kicked off the new season with a 3-0 win against Mechelen in the Belgian Super Cup on 20 July. It was the second time they had claimed the trophy, and the first since 2011, in their eighth appearance.

• Genk were 1-0 winners at home to Cercle Brugge on 26 October, before coming back from two down to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Antwerp on 30 October. They lost 2-0 at Eupen on Saturday.

• Genk have won only two of their last seven matches in all competitions (D2 L3).

• Genk's league game at Sint-Truiden on 28 September was abandoned after 88 minutes with the score at 3-3.

• Genk were 3-0 winners at Ronse in the Belgian Cup last 32 on 24 September; they will visit Antwerp in the next stage in early December.

• Including the Belgian Super Cup, the Matchday 3 defeat against Liverpool was only Genk's second home reverse in their last 17 home matches in all competitions (W11 D4).

• Genk lost two of their first three league games this season, having been unbeaten for their first 15 matches in 2018/19 and not suffered a second defeat until the 23rd round of fixtures. They have now lost five league matches in 2019/20, the same as in the whole of last season.

• They have 20 points after 13 matches – 13 less than at the same stage of 2018/19.

• First-choice goalkeeper Danny Vukovic has not played since 26 July due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and has not been included in the UEFA Champions League squad.