Liverpool vs Qarabag: Champions League preview, predictions and bet builder tips

• Ladbrokes previews Liverpool's home tie at Anfield, in their final Champions League game of the league phase, against Qarabag.

• Liverpool are tipped to win the game, securing a spot in the top eight in the process.

• Ladbrokes predicts that Dominik Szoboszlai finds the back of the net, making it four in his last five.

Ladbrokes runs you through our preview of Liverpool vs Qarabag in the Reds' eighth and final Champions League league phase match.

The game is important for Liverpool and Arne Slot, with a win guaranteeing the 2019 Champions League winners a spot in the last 16 of Europe's top club competition.

Qarabag aren't pushovers though, and given that they head into matchday eight in 18th place, the clash at Anfield on Wednesday night has all the makings of a feisty one.

Ahead of a huge game in Liverpool, check out our preview of all the action, including predictions, lineups and bet builder tips.

Match details

• Fixture: Liverpool vs Qarabag

• Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

• Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

• Venue: Anfield Stadium

Liverpool vs Qarabag prediction

Our prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Qarabag

Liverpool have struggled in the Premier League this season, currently sitting in sixth place. However, things have gone much better for Slot and his men in the Champions League.

Liverpool have beaten both Real Madrid and Inter Milan in Europe this season, and even picked up a 3-0 win away at Marseille last week.

We expect this game to be a tighter contest for the Reds this week, with Qarabag finding the back of the net. However, our team of experts still expects Liverpool to win by a scoreline of 2-1.

Predicted lineups

Liverpool

Our predicted XI (4-2-2-2): Alisson / Frimpong, Endo, Van Dijk, Robertson / Gravenberch, Jones / Szoboszlai, Wirtz / Salah, Ekitike

Qarabag

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kochalski / Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev / Jankovic, Bicalho / Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir / Duran

The match has a lot on the line for both sides here, with Liverpool aiming to finish inside the top eight and avoid having to play two extra matches before the last 16 stage of the Champions League.

Qarabag, on the other hand, will be aiming to get something from this game in order to secure a spot in the playoff stage of the competition, a spot they currently occupy with one game to play.

While Liverpool have struggled this season in parts, their form in Europe has largely been good. As such, we're tipping them to win their match on January 28 as one of the legs of our Bet Builder.

While we are tipping Liverpool to win, Qarabag won't be an easy opponent for Slot's men at Anfield, so we're expecting both teams to find the back of the net.

Liverpool kept a clean sheet in their last Champions League match, but without Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, Alisson doesn't have a first-choice defence in front of him.

Qarabag scored two against Chelsea in their final Champions League match of 2025, and three against both Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. The Azerbaijani side have scored in their big European matches this campaign, and we're expecting them to find the back of the net at Anfield too.

As noted, we expect this game to be a feisty one, with a lot of the game battled within the midfield.

Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool's number six, is averaging one foul a match in the Premier League so far this season, but that figure increases in the Champions League.

Qarabag are going to take the game to Liverpool, eager to pick up a win to secure a spot in the knockout playoff round, so expect Gravenberch to be heavily involved in breaking up play.

That means that there's a better chance of the Dutchman committing a few fouls here, which is why we've backed two or more fouls as the third leg of our bet builder for the game.

For our final leg of the Liverpool vs Qarabag bet builder, we're tipping Dominik Szoboszlai to find the back of the net.

Liverpool's number eight has been the club's player of the season so far, popping up with several vital goals and assists in both the Premier League and Champions League.

The Hungarian has started all seven of Liverpool's Champions League games so far this season, finding the back of the net four times during that period.

We expect Szoboszlai to be in and amongst it again, grabbing his teammates by the scruff of the neck and dragging them to victory, as he has so many times already this season.

You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create a Liverpool vs Qarabag Bet Builder.

With Bet Builder+, you can combine your bet with selections not only with other Champions League matches, but also with different sports.

View the latest football odds here.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.