Liverpool set to be BANNED from playing Atletico Madrid in Champions League thanks to little-known rule

LIVERPOOL will be BANNED from hosting Atletico Madrid in next season’s Champions League league phase. The Reds welcome Diego Simeone’s side to Anfield tonight, only 12 months after hosting them at the same stage last season. Anfield will NOT host Atletico in the Champions League’s league phase next season Credit: Getty Liverpool hosted Atletico in the Champions League’s league phase last season Credit: Getty But a new UEFA rule means Atletico cannot be sent to Anfield for a third season in a row. Liverpool could still face them next year as a trip to Madrid would be permitted. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! And they could also meet at Anfield in the knockouts with the rule only standing in the league phase. The Merseyside outfit beat Atletico 3-2 at Anfield last season in a dramatic opener. Former stars Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool two up inside the first six minutes. But Marcos Llorente struck twice to drag Atletico level before Virgil van Dijk headed an injury-time winner. It’s the second time that Liverpool have been affected by the rule this season. They were barred from playing Real Madrid at home after hosting them at Anfield in each of the previous two campaigns. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But a trip to the Bernabeu would still have been allowed. Arsenal were also unable to face Inter Milan at the San Siro this season. The Gunners had played there in each of the previous two campaigns. That meant any league-phase meeting between Arsenal and Inter this Champions League campaign would have had to be hosted by the Emirates. Instead the Gunners are set to face Serie A giants Napoli, who will be without talisman Scott McTominay as he recovers from heart surgery. And tomorrow, Manchester United will host Azerbaijani side Sabah. It will be United’s first Champions League game since December 2023 when they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. Comment now