Liverpool vs Maribor - as it happened: Jurgen Klopp's men clinch three more points after convincing home win

Re-live live action from the Champions League

(Getty)

Liverpool host Maribor on Wednesday night looking for another comprehensive victory to send them top of Champions League Group E with two games to play.

After thrashing the Slovenian club 7-0 away from home in the opening fixture of their double-header, the Reds drew level on five points with Group E frontrunners Spartak Moscow. With the Russian team away at Seville in the other group fixture, boss Jurgen Klopp will know his team have a brilliant opportunity to secure their leading position with two gameweeks remaining.

Since their last outing in the competition, the Merseyside club have experienced mixed Premier League fortunes. Although they cruised easily enough to a 3-0 victory against league newcomers Huddersfield at Anfield on Saturday, the defensive capitulation in the 4-1 loss to Spurs the week before will have left lasting scars. Another confident European win tonight would help to banish those ghosts and instil some positive momentum in their league challenge.

Nonetheless, given the relative ease in which his side defeated their northern Slovenian opposition last time out, expect some squad rotation from Klopp. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Emre Can and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may all start, with other first-choice replacements rested ahead of Saturday’s league clash with West Ham.

For Maribor and their manager, ex-Leeds United boss Darko Milanic, it might be a matter of merely saving face after their drubbing a fortnight ago. With long-term absentees Luka Zahovic and Denis Sme still in the stands, they will be hopeful of clawing back some respectability in their third ever outing in the Champions League group stages.

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What time does it start?

Liverpool vs Maribor kicks off at 19:45 GMT.

Where can I watch it?

The game will be shown on BT Sport ESPN from 19:00. Highlights will be shown at 22:15 on BT Sport 2.

It’s a big game for...

Trent Alexander-Arnold could be handed a rare start (Getty) (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold: In addition to the stunning free-kick he scored in his first ever Champions League appearance in August, the young wingback’s goal in Slovenia a couple of weeks ago would have reassured him he belongs on the biggest footballing stages. Another goal tonight might also persuade Jurgen Klopp to provide him with a more regular starting place.

Best stat...

7-0. Liverpool’s margin of victory last time out was the biggest margin of victory for an English club away from home in the European Cup/Champions League.

Remember when...

With Liverpool and Maribor only facing each other once before tonight, there’s not much inter-club history to choose from here. A good excuse, then, to revisit this textbook Gerrard screamer from the 2004-5 Champions League competition - the Reds would, of course, go on to lift the trophy that year.

Player to watch...

Daniel Sturridge: Scoring his 100^th Liverpool goal on his return to action against Huddersfield on Saturday, the striker will hope for more goals tonight to further energise his journey back to full match-fitness.

Previous three meetings...

Maribor 0 Liverpool 7 (Firmino x2, Coutinho, Salah x2, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexander-Arnold), Champions League, October 2017.

Form guide...

Liverpool: DDDWLW

Maribor: WLWDLL

Odds...

Liverpool: 1/33

Maribor: 50

Draw: 22

(Odds provided by 888 Sport)

[1 November 2017 21:21 · Liam Corless]

[1 November 2017 21:22 · Liam Corless]

GOAL! Spurs 3-1 Real Madrid (Ronaldo)

81' - Cristiano Ronaldo pulls one back for Real Madrid as his close-range shot deflects off Eric Dier and past Hugo Lloris.

Can the reigning European champions mount an unlikely comeback from here?

[1 November 2017 21:23 · Liam Corless]

81' - Theo Hernandez replaces Luka Modric for Madrid.

[1 November 2017 21:26 · Liam Corless]

85' - Cristiano Ronaldo lets fly from distance but his well-struck shot is straight at Hugo Lloris and the Spurs keeper makes the save.

[1 November 2017 21:29 · Liam Corless]

87' - A small scuffle breaks out at Wembley and unsurprisingly Sergio Ramos is involved. He and Moussa Dembele square up after a coming-together but both men escape without a yellow card.

[1 November 2017 21:31 · Liam Corless]

89' - ... aaand Moussa Dembele goes into the book just moments later for a wild swipe at, you guessed it, Sergio Ramos!

[1 November 2017 21:32 · Liam Corless]

[1 November 2017 21:32 · Liam Corless]

90' - Three minutes of added time to go at Wembley.

Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has just gone into the book for sarcastically applauding the referee. Vintage.

[1 November 2017 21:37 · Liam Corless]

Full-time - Spurs 3-1 Real Madrid

The final whistle goes and Spurs have smashed Real Madrid at Wembley! Two goals from Dele Alli and another from Christian Eriksen were all that were required against an under-par Los Merengues.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have got a third against Maribor at Anfield through Daniel Sturridge and City are 4-2 up in Naples after a goal in injury-time by Raheem Sterling. 

[1 November 2017 21:49 · Liam Corless]

Reaction from Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen

Dele Alli: "It was a fantastic performance. We knew if we stuck to our game plan and stayed solid at the back we'd get chances. It could've been more today but we're very happy with the result

"With the team we've got here, we don't just want to compete with teams like this. We want to be winning."

Christian Eriksen: "We played a professional game. We got what we wanted. We could've scored more with a bit more composure.

"This is something we can build on. We need to keep it going."

Quotes from BT Sport