Road to Budapest: Can Slot’s Liverpool Turn Europe Red Again?

Arne Slot might have breezed to last season’s Premier League title in his Anfield debut, but this year’s league slog has been choppy, with Liverpool hovering in sixth and a top-four push very much the order of the day. Europe, though? That’s where the Reds are purring. They’ve navigated the Champions League league phase with real authority and punched straight into the last 16 — no playoff faffing required.

Key indicator of the Slot effect: a Champions League win rate of 77.7% at a single club (min 10 matches) — the best in competition history. Add six wins from eight in the league phase and you see why Liverpool look a different animal under the midweek lights.

How the league phase unfolded

They opened with a wild 3-2 triumph over Atletico Madrid, then tripped 1-0 at Galatasaray — Victor Osimhen doing the damage. A 5-1 dismantling of Eintracht Frankfurt restored order, followed by a statement 1-0 against Real Madrid. A wobble came with a 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on 26 September, but Slot’s side slammed the door thereafter, reeling off three straight clean sheets versus Inter, Marseille and Qarabag.

All told, Liverpool finished third overall in the league-phase standings, tucked in behind Arsenal and Bayern Munich. That position locks in automatic passage to the Round of 16.

Round of 16: Who could they draw?

The last-16 picture depends on playoff results, but the names circling Anfield are anything but timid: Juventus, Atletico Madrid (yes, again), Club Brugge or Galatasaray. It’s a mixed bag — punchy atmospheres, defensive steel, and a couple of outfits who fancy a tactical arm-wrestle. And while a retired Liverpool defender has already suggested Manchester City will get a comfortable ride in their own draw, the Reds won’t expect any such charity.

Quarter-final dangers: the real heavy hitters

Clear the last 16 and the competition sharpens. Barcelona — Hansi Flick at the wheel and a frontline boasting Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski — lurk as a stylistic headache. Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning champions of Europe, are another formidable hurdle. There’s also the very real prospect of all-Premier League dust-ups with Newcastle United or Chelsea, both awkward in very different ways.

Semi-final gauntlet: Europe’s elite await

If Liverpool keep marching, the semi-finals could serve up domestic rivals Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Sporting CP or Manchester City — all seeded heavyweights. From the playoff side of the tree, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan or Real Madrid could also roll into view. Pick your poison; it’s a who’s who of European pedigree.

Spurs subplot and the Budapest endgame

Intriguingly, Tottenham Hotspur — Thomas Frank’s lot — are in a similar bind: a bit patchy at home, dangerous in Europe. After finishing fourth, Spurs share the same potential map as Liverpool, but the two can’t meet again until the showpiece at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Imagine that: an all-English finale on the Danube.

Can Liverpool actually win it?

Liverpool’s European savvy is proven — last crowned in 2018/19 under Jurgen Klopp — and there’s a familiar sense that they can grow into this tournament. The league title may be beyond them this year, so shovelling energy into Europe is the pragmatic play. For the odds-watchers among you, check the best betting sites to see how the markets are shifting.

There’s still room for polish, of course. But with big-game experience through the spine and flashes of star quality — Florian Wirtz showing glimpses of that Leverkusen-class creativity and Alexander Isak edging closer to full tilt — Slot’s men have the tools to trouble anyone. It’s not always the planet’s “best” team who lifts the trophy; it’s the side that handles the moments. On recent evidence, Liverpool are very much in that conversation.

Bottom line: navigate a tricky last-16, avoid a quarter-final ambush, and Budapest comes into view. If they keep the clean-sheet machine humming and lean on their European muscle memory, don’t be shocked if the Reds are the ones painting Hungary red in late spring.