Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller.

"It was what Liverpool needed to do and never really got out of first gear to achieve that. They worked out how to beat the Lille press and they caused them problems. "At the start of the season, not many people knew what to expect of Arne Slot.

Hello and welcome everyone to The Athletic for our live coverage of Liverpool vs Lille. The Champions League is back today after a more than month-long hiatus and the fixture we're focusing on pits the Premier League leaders against one of the high-flying sides in Ligue 1.