Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller.

Arne Slot can give thanks to the new Champion League format and acclaim Liverpool as Europe’s best. For another week, at least.

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.

Mohamed Salah today became the first Liverpool player to reach 50 goals in European competition. Liverpool won against Lille at home in a new Champions League format that makes the victory entirely about the club’s financial benefit over placement in subsequent stages given the side’s previous dominance.