Liverpool travel to Qatar to take on Monterrey in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
The Reds enter the competition following their Champions League triumph last season and arrive in the tournament at the semi-final stage. Liverpool will be hoping to lift the Club World Cup for the first time in their history, having lost the only previous final they have been in 1-0 to Sao Paulo.
The Merseyside club face a difficult winter fixture list, including a Carabao Cup quarter-final played less than 24 hours earlier that will only feature Liverpool's youth players. However, the Reds do come into this game top of the Premier League, now sitting ten points clear of Leicester in second.
Meanwhile, Mexican outfit Monterrey head in to this competition after winning the CONCACAF Champions League, and have already beaten Al Sadd 3-2 in the quarter-final last Saturday. Liverpool's opponents finished eighth in Liga BBVA MX, as well as making the Apertura final, and they haven't lost a match since 7 October.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Wednesday 18 December |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 17:30 (BST) |
| Where Is it Played? | Khalifa International Stadium |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | BBC Two |
| Referee? | Roberto Tobar |
Team News
Liverpool have travelled to Qatar with a 20-man squad, made up almost entirely of first-team players. Georginio Wijnaldum
Predicted Lineups
| Monterrey | Barovero; Medina, Montes, Sanchez, Vangioni; Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Pizzaro, Pabon, Gallardo; Funes Mori. |
| Liverpool | Alisson; Williams, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Milner, Keita; Mane, Shaqiri, Firmino. |
Head to Head Record
Monterrey and Liverpool have never met before in a competitive match, however, the Mexicans have faced English opposition in the past.
Monterrey lost 3-1 to Chelsea in the same stage of this competition in 2012, including a goal from former Liverpool star Fernando Torres.
Recent Form
Jurgen Klopp's side head in to this match in high spirits, currently sitting ten points clear of second-place Leicester at the top of the Premier League table. The Reds also recently qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, and will be aiming to defend that crown in the new year.
Liverpool's last win came at Anfield on Saturday, beating struggling Watford 2-0 and keeping a third consecutive clean sheet. They have won 16 of their 17 Premier League matches this season, and haven't lost in any competition since 17 September.
Monterrey will be in a confident mood as well, currently enjoying a 13-match unbeaten run and having recently qualified for the Apertura final - beating Santos Laguna and Club Necaxa on the way. Their last outing was the quarter-final of the Club World Cup where they beat Al Sadd 3-2.
Here is each side's last five results in all competitions:
| Monterrey | Liverpool |
| Monterrey 3-2 Al Sadd (14/12) | Liverpool 2-0 Watford (14/12) |
| Club Necaxa 0-1 Monterrey (8/12) | RB Salzburg 0-2 Liverpool (10/12) |
| Monterrey 2-1 Club Necaxa (5/12) | Bournemouth 0-3 Liverpool (7/12) |
| Santos Laguna 1-1 Monterrey (2/12) | Liverpool 5-2 Everton (4/12) |
| Monterrey 5-2 Santos Laguna (29/11) | Liverpool 2-1 Brighton (30/11) |
Prediction
With all said and done, this should be straightforward for Liverpool. They come into this game as incredibly strong favourites and should book their place in the final with relative ease.
The only potential issue for the Reds is complacency, but if they take the game seriously, they should have a comfortable evening.
However, Liverpool should be aware of Monterrey's attacking threats, with Funes Mori, in particular, a key asset for the Mexican side.
Prediction: Monterrey 0-4 Liverpool
Source: 90min
