Liverpool vs Bologna LIVE: Champions League result and reaction after Mac Allister and Salah on target

Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has suffered an injury blow that denies him a first Champions League night at Anfield and could rule him out until the international break.

The Italy international has a muscular problem that means he will sit out Wednesday’s game against Bologna and makes him a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

Manager Arne Slot believes it will be a particular blow for Chiesa, a £10m summer signing from Juventus, to miss a match against against a team from his home country.

A “big Champions League night” that ended up being quite a nice run-out for Arsenal. Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain looked less a sportswashing project and more a youth project. The level of superiority in this 2-0 win is again to Arsenal’s credit, but should also be a worry for Uefa.

This was one of the big-name fixtures that the new Champions League was sold on – more games between the best, more fixtures, more, more, more – and yet it didn’t really feel like either side treated it as a match of much consequence. It was a world away, say, from 2000-01 when Lyon came to North London and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal absolutely knew they had to do something.

If it is by now becoming tedious to read about these issues, it is worth remembering that such themes only arise because very little of consequence happens on the pitch. Here, in just the second of eight games, Arsenal got the win that already puts them more than halfway to the top 24.

Odds

Liverpool 1/6

Draw 6/1

Bologna 14/1

Prediction

The Reds to record another home victory against a side struggling to match their own exploits of last term. 

Liverpool 2-0 Bologna.

LIV - Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Jota

BOL - Skorupski, Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis, Freuler, Aebischer, Urbanski, Orsolini, Castro, Ndoye

The Reds have Alisson back and have only two potential absentees as a result - Harvey Elliott, who is definitely out, and Darwin Nunez, who missed the weekend game through illness.

Lewis Ferguson, Oussama El Azzouzi and Tommaso Pobega are the three likely absentees for Bologna.

When is the match?

The match kicks off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 2 October at Anfield.

Where can I watch it?

All Champions League games are shown on TNT Sports in the UK. This game is on TNT Sports 2 and can be streamed for subscribers on the discovery+ app.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

Liverpool will attempt to make it two wins from two in the new-look Champions League, with their first home encounter of the European campaign coming against Serie A side Bologna.

The Reds won in relative comfort at the weekend despite a poor overall performance against Wolves, but have generally been impressive this term and sit top of the Premier League table. They also saw off another Italian outfit in AC Milan in the first gameweek in Europe.

Bologna haven’t faced Milan yet in their domestic league, but they sit four points behind them and nine places lower in the table after managing just two wins from six to-date, 12th following a home draw with Atalanta at the weekend.

Arne Slot may opt to change one or two from his starting lineup following a low-key weekend outing, particularly given the lack of real concern over progression from this stage of the Champions League.

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Bologna.

Arne Slot’s side face another Italian side in their second match in the competition this season, having put in an impressive performance in their opener as they beat AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro.

Bologna have had a mixed start to the season and drew their opener 0-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk, though a trip to Anfield is certain to give them another gear in tonight’s match.