The pathway for Liverpool to advance in the Champions League competition has potentially improved.
The Reds achieved victory in their initial contest of the current campaign, overcoming Spanish team Atletico Madrid by a score of 3-2 at their home stadium last week.
In the prior year, Liverpool secured the highest position in the 36-team structure following eight games, and the aspiration is that Arne Slot’s squad can replicate this achievement by attaining a place within the top eight once more.
Adversaries of Liverpool in Champions League, PSV, encounter significant setback due to injury
This outcome could allow Liverpool to diminish the number of matches they participate in within the tournament this year, given that the top eight teams from the league stage automatically progress into the Round of 16.
Teams that conclude their league phase campaign positioned between 9th and 24th will engage in a two-game, aggregate-score knockout round of 32 against other teams finishing within the same placement range.
PSV’s key player from the start of the 2025/26 season has experienced an injury to their anterior cruciate ligament, meaning they will be unavailable for the remainder of the season.
Ruben van Bommel, offspring of Mark, who played internationally for the Netherlands and was a World Cup finalist, has achieved four goals across eight games thus far this season.
The 21-year-old, operating as a left-winger, became part of the Dutch champions during the summer transfer window from AZ Alkmaar and was quickly making an impression prior to incurring the significant injury.
Consequently, Van Bommel will be absent from the match against Liverpool scheduled for November 26, 2025, and also from the game against Newcastle United on January 21, 2026.
