Premier League leaders Liverpool travel to Germany to face Bundesliga front-runners RB Leipzig this week, live on talkSPORT.

The Reds return to Champions League action looking to extend their perfect European start in the soon-to-be Jurgen Klopp derby.

Liverpool and Leipzig are soon to be bonded by Jurgen KloppGetty

Former Liverpool manager Klopp left Anfield in the summer but will become the new Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull in January.

It is the German’s first new role since leaving Merseyside and will involve overseeing their network of teams, including Leipzig.

However, this game will come too quickly for Klopp to offer any tactical advice to Marco Rose on his former club.

Klopp’s Liverpool successor Arne Slot continued his stunning start since taking the reigns by beating Chelsea to return to the top of the Premier League.

Slot has masterminded 10 wins from his 11 games so far, which includes two from two in the Champions League.

RB Leipzig vs Liverpool: Red rag to a bull

Klopp’s imminent move to the Red Bull network will only strengthen a bond already forged between these two clubs.

The German relied on Leipzig to reinforce his Liverpool squad, spending £150million on three of his top ten most expensive signings.

Liverpool paid a premium to land £52m Naby Keita a year before his 2018 arrival, and despite the midfielder largely flopping, Klopp returned to the Red Bull club.

Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai will both reunite with former club Leipzig having proven to be key stars under Slot.

The Bundesliga club also have connections the other way, with Szoboszlai’s Hungarian teammate Peter Gulacsi spending six years on the Reds’ books earlier in his career.

Szoboszlai and Konate followed the Red Bull pathway to the Premier Leaguegetty

Mohamed Salah has been involved in 12 goals in his previous nine appearances for Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League (9 goals, 3 assists), scoring and assisting last time out against Bologna. Since 2017-18, no player has both scored and assisted in more games in the competition than Salah’s 9 (also Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé).

Only Jerdy Schouten (23) has won possession more times in the UEFA Champions League this season than Ryan Gravenberch (19), while the Liverpool midfielder has been involved in three unique goal-ending build up sequences in open play this season, no player in the competition has more.

Benjamin Sesko has scored three goals in the UEFA Champions League for RB Leipzig so far this season. On the day of the game (21y 145d), he could become the fifth player to score in a side’s first three games of a UEFA Champions League campaign before turning 22 after Erling Haaland (twice), Jude Bellingham (twice), Ferran Torres and Alessandro Del Piero.

RB Leipzig vs Liverpool: Team news

The hosts are sweating on the fitness of Lois Openda following a knock in the 2-0 win over another of Klopp’s old sides, Mainz, but he’s expected to be available.

Amadou Haidara will also need a late fitness test, but Xaver Schlager, David Raum, Nicolas Seiwald and Assan Ouedraogo are confirmed absentees.

Liverpool are expected to be without Diogo Jota following his withdrawal against Chelsea, which should see Darwin Nunez start.

Alisson Becker and Harvey Elliott remain in the treatment room, but both Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley have a chance at returning.

Nunez sent a message to Slot with a different side to his game

Since the start of 2019-20, RB Leipzig have conceded 17 goals in the final 10 minutes of the second half in UEFA Champions League games, more than any other side. Indeed, four of those have been the game’s winning goal, with no side conceding more.

Three of Liverpool’s five goals in the UEFA Champions League this season have been assisted by crosses (60%), with their three being the most of any side through the opening two matchdays. Each of those have been scored and assisted by a different player (Alexander-Arnold to Konaté, Tsimikas to van Dijk and Salah to Mac Allister).

Liverpool are looking to win their opening three games to begin a UEFA Champions League campaign for the third time after 2020-21 and 2021-22 (first 7).

RB Leipzig vs Liverpool: What has been said?

Slot was quizzed on whether winning against Chelsea will provide confidence that Liverpool can stay atop the Premier League.

He replied: “I think it was mostly the media that told us that this was our first big test. I think if you go to Old Trafford against a very strong team like [Manchester] United, that is definitely a test as well.

“I said, I think it was Friday in the press conference, don’t judge us on this week, you have to judge us after six, seven or eight [more] games. That’s also what I say now after this win because Wednesday is Leipzig, Sunday it’s Arsenal, then it’s Brighton, Brighton [and] then it’s Leverkusen and Aston Villa.

“So, this is in my opinion our biggest test, to play Champions League and Premier League; the hardest games three days in a row.

“That’s what [Manchester] City did last season, that’s what Arsenal did – both of these clubs did this for two years in a row now. You saw two years ago how difficult that was for us and you saw last season how difficult it was for [Manchester] United and Newcastle to be involved in the Champions League and Premier League.

“That is for me the test we have to go through to see if we can stay or be where we are now.”

Leipzig are level joint-first in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich but yet to win a point in EuropeGetty

RB Leipzig and Liverpool met in the last 16 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League, with the Reds winning both the home and away legs by the same scoreline: 2-0.

RB Leipzig won three of their first four UEFA Champions League matches against English teams (L1) but have lost six of their last eight (W1 D1). They have also conceded 32 goals in their last 10 games against English opponents.

Liverpool have won seven out of 10 UEFA Champions League meetings with German opposition (D2 L1), keeping six clean sheets. Their one defeat was in the away leg of the 2001-02 quarter-final, going down 4-2 to Bayer Leverkusen under Gérard Houllier.

RB Leipzig have lost both their games in the UEFA Champions League this season despite scoring the opening goal in both, no side in the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League has done so in three consecutive games before.

RB Leipzig vs Liverpool: talkSPORT coverage

This Champions League league phase match will be held on Wednesday, October 23.

Kick-off at the Red Bull Arena Leipzig is scheduled for 8pm UK time.

talkSPORT will have live coverage from Germany, with Adrian Durham serving as your presenter from Manchester City v Sparta Prague.

Commentary will come from Joe Shennan and former England captain Stuart Pearce.

talkSPORT.com will also have updates in our dedicated live Champions League blog.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.