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Liverpool is set to launch its Champions League campaign with Atletico Madrid visiting Anfield on Wednesday.
Last season, Arne Slot's team topped the league phase with a perfect score of 24 points from 24, but was knocked out by eventual winner Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.
Following that setback and their Premier League title win, the Reds are eager for a deeper run in Europe's premier club competition this time. Liverpool will host Atletico, Real Madrid, PSV, and Qarabag, while travelling to face Galatasaray, Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Inter Milan. First up is Atletico, a team that's had mixed fortunes at Anfield, with one win, one draw, and two losses from its four Merseyside outings.
However, Atletico has had a poor start to its La Liga season, managing just five points from a possible 12.
Given these circumstances, the Reds will undoubtedly be confident heading into the clash against Atletico - and the rest of the league phase - as they kick off their quest for a seventh Champions League title.
Ahead of Liverpool's European opener this season, former Reds winger Steve McManaman has expressed his belief that Slot's side should approach the game with confidence.
"Yeah, you'd have to (fancy Liverpool to go through)," McManaman said. "The bigger games are (Real) Madrid, Atleti, but thankfully they've Qarabag at home, so they don't have to travel as far... You think they should win those games at Anfield.
"The away games are not that bad. I expect them to be difficult games. Inter Milan - they went to the San Siro last year, so that's going to be challenging for them.
"Frankfurt is always difficult, Marseille is always hostile, but again, you're always going to get difficult games, but I think it could have been a lot worse.
"Liverpool have got a favorable draw. Teams like Arsenal have got a better draw on paper, but Liverpool will be fairly happy, you'd expect them teams."
Speculation has emerged suggesting Liverpool ought to focus its efforts on the Champions League this campaign, given its Premier League triumph last season and its failure to advance beyond the last 16 in Europe's elite competition.
Nevertheless, McManaman believes the Reds shouldn't adopt such an approach. "No, I don't think they should prioritise that at all. I think Liverpool were, if anything, the one team that ran PSG close last year," he added.
"They lost on penalties, and that was just a one-off game. That is what happens in the Champions League, and you need a bit of fortune here and there. But I think the Premier League is the most important one for Liverpool. They won it last year, and they desperately want to win it again.
"Of course, if you can get the Champions League or another trophy alongside it, even better. But I certainly think, for me, the Premier League is the most important one at this moment in time. They were outstanding in the group stage, but then you worry about it when it starts getting into February and March in the knockout stage."
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