Could Liverpool’s Poor Premier League Showing Benefit Them in the Champions League?
There’s no two ways about it – Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has been a disaster. Just 12 months ago, Arne Slot’s Reds were powering their way to the title.
A 2-2 draw at Aston Villa a year ago today moved them eight points clear at the summit, and that gap would extend to 10 by the time the campaign drew to a close and the trophy was presented at Anfield. A summer spending spree of almost £450m seemingly put the Merseysiders in the box seat to retain the title, but unfortunately things haven’t worked out that way.
A disastrous run of form throughout the autumn saw Liverpool embark upon a run of six losses in seven games. They have somewhat recovered since, but the recent hard-fought 1-0 victory against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light still left them a whopping 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal and out of contention for the top prize. Indeed, it’s the Gunners who online betting sites now make the team to beat.
The latest soccer betting at Bovada odds price Mikel Arteta’s men as the clear 1/4 frontrunners to secure a first league title in 22 years. The reigning champions are way out at 100/1, and it would take a miracle for them to mount a title challenge from here, but could those poor displays in the Premier League benefit the Reds continentally?
Champions League Provides Welcome Respite for the Reds
So far this term, the Champions League has (for the most part) provided a welcome respite from Liverpool’s domestic woes. While Slot’s side have floundered somewhat domestically, their continental displays have made for a refreshing contrast. The Reds powered their way through the league phase, winning six of their eight games to finish third in the standings and secure a spot in the last 16, with only Arsenal and Bayern Munich enjoying a better record.
The Merseysiders have already beaten the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this season. Their 3-0 victory in a hostile Marseille was one of the high points of the campaign, while the 5-1 away drubbing of Eintracht Frankfurt was a statement of intent. As such, it’s no surprise to see that the bookies are big on Liverpool’s hopes. They make Slot’s side 10/1 contenders to leave Budapest with the trophy in May, the sixth shortest odds of anybody remaining in the competition.
Liverpool pulled off the win in the 93rd minute!
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) September 17, 2025
The reason Liverpool aren’t considered even more likely winners is that they are set to face a somewhat difficult test in the round of 16 against one of Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Juventus or Galatasaray. The latter have already beaten the Reds in the Champions League this term, winning 1-0 on matchday two courtesy of a first-half penalty from the prolific Victor Osimhen.
Rotating in the Premier League
With Liverpool out of contention domestically, the Premier League could eventually provide an opportunity for Slot to rotate his squad and ensure that star players are fully rested for huge European clashes, should the Reds progress to the business end of the Champions League.
Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk are well into their 30s now and will need more rest than they have in recent years. The likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai have all logged plenty of minutes this term as well, and they too could need some game management throughout the backend of the campaign.
Of course, resting your key players is risky business. Even if Liverpool are out of the title race, they remain locked in a battle to secure a place in the top five and earn a spot in next season’s Champions League. Considering the fact that the Reds have failed to beat Nottingham Forest, Burnley and Leeds at home, even rotating against teams at the lower end of the table comes with risks.
Liverpool’s Recent Runs to the Champions League Final
The Reds reached three Champions League finals in five seasons between 2018 and 2022, and throughout the first of those runs to European football’s showpiece fixture, they benefited massively from not being involved in the domestic title run-in. The Reds effectively secured their place in the top four with a month to spare despite some late hiccups, and that allowed Jurgen Klopp to rotate key players in a bid to focus all his efforts on Europe in the final weeks of that campaign.
Klopp’s side managed to beat FC Porto, upset Manchester City and survive a thriller against Roma to reach their first Champions League in 11 years. Domestically, their performances nosedived somewhat, with the Reds winning just two of their final six games of the campaign, but they managed to secure fourth place.
That should still be achievable this season, even with squad rotation. Whether it’s enough to see Liverpool overcome the Champions League favourites such as Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona is a different question entirely.
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