Liverpool's victory over Lille last night was fundamentally good for them in that they are through to the last 16 and have secured a top-two seeding. However, that is also a positive for English clubs as a whole.

Hello and welcome everyone to The Athletic for our live coverage of Liverpool vs Lille. The Champions League is back today after a more than month-long hiatus and the fixture we're focusing on pits the Premier League leaders against one of the high-flying sides in Ligue 1.

Liverpool picked up right where it ended 2024, with a win that kept the Reds perfect heading into the final round of