The two sides that boast 10 Champions League/European Cup titles between them, meet in the Champions League round of 16 first leg tie on Tuesday night at Anfield.
Liverpool and Bayern have never met since the competition’s re-branding in 1992. The previous time they met in a two-legged tie was in the European Cup semifinal in 1981, when the Mersysiders triumphed on the away goals rule following a 1-1 draw in Germany.
Friendly encounters aside, their most recent meeting was in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup, where Liverpool walked away with a 3-2 victory.
With Van Dijk suspended and Lovren doubtful, Klopp has to decide who will partner Joel Matip at centre-back. Xherdan Shaqiri (abdominal) faces a late fitness test and is a doubt to face his former club.
Fabinho could pattern with Matip as a solution to Liverpool’s defensive fitness crisis. This comes after Jurgen Klopp revealed that Dejan Lovren would be subject to a last-minute fitness assessment ahead of the last-16 showdown at Anfield.
Joe Gomez (ankle) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) remain long-term absentees.
Bayern Munich will be without centre-back Jerome Boateng after he was ruled out with “stomach flu”. Thomas Muller serves the first of a two-game suspension.
Winger Franck Ribery has joined up with the Bundesliga champions in England following the birth of his child ahead of the game.
Kingsley Coman has been declared fit after suffering a knock in Friday’s 3-2 away win over Augsburg. Arjen Robben, who has not featured for Bayern since late November due to a thigh injury, is not included in the 21-man squad.
The return leg will be played on 13th March at Allianz Arena in Munich.
Key stats
Bayern Munich have won only one of their seven matches in European competition against Liverpool (D4 L2).
Liverpool and Bayern Munich’s only previous encounter in the European Cup/Champions League came in the 1980/81 semis. Liverpool progressed on away goals (1-1 on aggregate) – they would go on to beat Real Madrid in the final (1-0).
Bayern Munich haven’t scored a single goal against Liverpool at Anfield (3 games).
Liverpool are unbeaten in 19 consecutive European matches at Anfield (W14 D5), last losing at home back in October 2014 against Real Madrid in the Champions League (0-3). It’s their second longest unbeaten streak at home in European competition after their 40-match run between September 1974 and December 1991.
Bayern Munich were one of five teams to remain unbeaten in this season’s Champions League group stages, along with Ajax, Barcelona, Lyon and Porto. They have reached the Champions League semi-finals in seven of the last nine seasons.
Bayern Munich are on a run of eight consecutive Champions League away matches without a defeat (W6 D2), with their last loss on the road coming in September 2017 versus Paris Saint-Germain (0-3).
Bayern Munich are the top scoring side from set-pieces in this season’s Champions League with eight goals, including five from corner situations (also a competition high).