Qarabag have been involved in some really entertaining games during the league phase campaign, and I think they have the firepower to cause Liverpool some issues on the final matchday as they attempt to record a historic finish and reach the play-offs for the knockout stages.

Qarabag’s run in the Champions League this season has come out of nowhere, with the Azerbaijani club finishing bottom of the league phase in the Europa League last season. They’ve enjoyed an inspired campaign this time around, avoiding defeat in four of their seven matches with those games producing 28 goals (4.0 per game).

Qarabag have seen 3+ goals in five of their seven matches in the Champions League this season, including holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw earlier on in the competition. They claimed a 3-2 win over Frankfurt last time out to set up an exciting final day in which they have every chance of progressing through to the play-offs.

Liverpool are in a strong position to finish in the top eight, but would still need a win to be sure of their progression to the knockout stages. Liverpool’s 3-2 loss against Bournemouth over the weekend was a good example of the defensive issues still plaguing the Reds - and with Ibrahima Konate expected to miss out here, it’s likely those issues continue.

Liverpool have seen 3+ goals in two of their three home games in the Champions League this season, conceding six goals across those two matches, so it’s hard to be certain of Liverpool coming through this clash with a clean sheet.

Dominik Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s best player this season, and he’s been particularly productive in the Champions League. The Hungarian tops the Liverpool rankings for both goals (four) and assists (three) in the Champions League, making him one of the most consistent performers in the whole competition.

Szoboszlai scored from range in Liverpool’s most recent Champions League game against Marseille as the Reds came away 3-0 winners in France. That was his 10th shot on target in the Champions League this season across seven appearances, working out to an average of 1.43 shots on target per 90. Szoboszlai’s shot accuracy is also strong with the 25-year-old achieving this shot on target record from 17 shots overall (59% shot accuracy).

Szoboszlai followed up that strong performance with a goal and an assist against Bournemouth, another effort from range. Szoboszlai’s willingness to shoot from distance could be really beneficial to our selection here, as Liverpool haven’t been prolific in the final third recently and may have to rely on the Hungarian taking aim from distance to break down a stubborn Qarabag side.

Qarabag have had 3+ shots on target in all seven of their Champions League matches this season, and are likely to cause Liverpool problems here following the Reds’ issues at the back in their 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth over the weekend.

Qarabag are averaging 4.60 shots on target per game in the Champions League this season, and have held their own in an attacking sense in all three of their away games in the competitions:

3 shots on target v Napoli

4 shots on target v Athletic Club

5 shots on target v Benfica

Qarabag also had three shots on target against Chelsea in their 2-2 draw with the Blues, showing their ability to still test Premier League sides. Qarabag are likely to need at least a point in this contest to secure qualification, and it’s very unlikely that they keep a clean sheet, so we should see the Azerbaijani side push forward to try and earn the point that would get them into the play-offs.

Marko Jankovic is expected to line up in the middle of the park for the away side here and has been fairly active out of possession with five fouls committed across his five starts in the Champions League (0.96 per 90).

He’s picked up one yellow card across those fixtures and faces his toughest task yet in the Champions League, with Liverpool expected to pack the midfield. Arne Slot hasn’t really found a way to keep Liverpool secure without flooding central zones, adding to the bodies that Jankovic could haul to the ground here.

Jankovic’s main opponent here is likely to be Florian Wirtz, who has shown flashes of his best during his Liverpool career so far. Wirtz has won six fouls across his five starts in the Champions League this season (1.22 per 90) and is also completing 1.83 successful dribbles per 90 - suggesting that he does like to push on through central areas.

Qarabag are more than capable of finding the back of the net in this clash with Liverpool far from secure at the back, and expected to be without Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez here, leaving a hole in the backline that will further encourage the underdogs in this clash.

Qarabag have scored in six of their seven Champions League matches this season, with the exception of their 2-0 defeat to Napoli on the road. There is an extra incentive for them to get on the scoresheet as well, with the Azerbaijani club needing at least a point to be sure of their progression to the next round.

Liverpool have seen BTTS in two of their three Champions League matches at Anfield this term, conceding 2+ goals in both of those games against Atletico Madrid and PSV. Their 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth over the weekend highlighted the issues that Liverpool are still facing at the back, and Qarabag should have the belief they can further test their defensive line.

Florian Wirtz has registered two assists in the Champions League this season from 17 chances created across his five starts in the competition (3.45 per 90).

This is one of the best chance creation averages in the Champions League, and shows that Wirtz does have real quality, which seems to come out more often in the Champions League than the Premier League, where he is struggling with the physical side of the game.

The lower intensity of Champions League matches suits Wirtz and allows him to create chances at a much better rate. Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah are expected to lead the line for Liverpool here and both can profit from Wirtz’s strong chance creation ability in the Champions League, which is likely to lead to more assists in the competition as we reach the latter stages.

Endo is expected to line up alongside Virgil van Dijk in this clash, with Liverpool facing a bit of a crisis at the back ahead of this clash. Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are both doubts for this game, and Giovanni Leoni having a long term injury leaves Slot with little choice but to go with the lesser spotted Endo as a makeshift centre back.

Endo has been a good servant for Liverpool and steps in when they are short in certain areas. He featured most regularly in the 23/24 season under Jurgen Klopp - picking up 10 yellow cards across 20 Premier League starts in that campaign. That record gives an example of Endo’s lack of discipline at times, and I think he could be roped into committing quite a few tactical fouls here.

Endo hasn’t played too often as a centre back, and may struggle when Qarabag get joy in moments of transition. He’ll be up against Camilo Duran, who can be a real handful and is likely to target Endo as his favoured opponent instead of van Dijk, who is naturally more difficult to find a way past.