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Liverpool have been nearly unstoppable in Europe over the last couple of years, reaching the final in both 2018 and 2019. They won last season, after an incredible campaign filled with twists, turns and drama to the highest order.
Their matches against the likes of PSG, Napoli and especially Barcelona were truly memorable.
But now it is time to defend their crown. The new Champions League season begins this week, and many clubs will be raring to go. Liverpool will not be the only major contenders, as various giants of European football will want to step back into the picture.
Jürgen Klopp's men will hope to retain the Champions League when the final rolls around in Istanbul at the end of May. But will they be in the conversation come the end of the season?
Here are five bold predictions for Liverpool in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.
#5 They will have a slow start
Liverpool will begin their Champions League title defense at a familiar venue, a place where they suffered a potentially devastating blow last season. The Reds just about managed to scrape through their group, after losing all three of their away games.
The first of those came at Stadio San Paolo, the home of Napoli. The Italian side cruised through the game, dominating it from start to finish. However, they only won 1-0 with a late goal from Lorenzo Insigne.
Liverpool were abject that night, and while they will be better for the experience, Carlo Ancelotti's side is an incredibly solid one. Napoli will be out for revenge, following the incredibly tight nature of their group stage exit last season to the Reds.
Add in the possible vulnerabilities in Liverpool's defence, and Napoli could have a real go on Tuesday. Adrian will start in goal for Jürgen Klopp's team, so expect a slight stumble at the start of the Reds' Champions League campaign.
That would only stand to be a minor blip in proceedings though.
#4 The group stage will showcase Liverpool's squad depth
Along with Napoli, the other two teams in Liverpool's Group E are Red Bull Salzburg and Genk - which should not cause too many problems for the Reds.
After a tough game against Napoli, Liverpool will welcome Salzburg at Anfield and then travel to Belgium to face Genk. This is pretty much an ideal scenario for Jürgen Klopp and his players, in terms of travel.
However, these kinds of games could provide the German with an opportunity to play some of the lesser featured players in his squad.
The boss could be tempted to give some of Liverpool's key players a midweek breather, while calling upon the likes of Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi among others. They are all good enough to win matches for the Reds and could play a part in games against Salzburg and Genk.
The squad depth that Liverpool currently possesses, while not the greatest, is certainly a vast improvement from previous years. This will only serve to benefit them in the long run.
#3 They will win every game at Anfield
Last season, the entire world found out just how powerful Anfield really is. Liverpool came back from the dead to win 4-3 on aggregate against Barcelona, without both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. The Liverpool fans were incredible from the very beginning and proved just how effective they can be.
After the Reds seemingly achieved the impossible, the Anfield crowd will know what they need to do. The ground truly is a temple of football, especially on European nights.
This season should be no different. Liverpool and their fans will feel virtually unstoppable at home, and rightfully so.
The Reds have worked extremely hard to make Anfield a fortress, so whether or not they do the business away from home, expect Liverpool to win every Champions League home game this season. They have not lost a single European game at Anfield since a 3-0 reversal against Real Madrid in October 2014.
#2 Roberto Firmino will be the standout player
Last season was a relatively quiet one for Roberto Firmino. He was still as effective as ever for Liverpool, but the bulk of the goals went the way of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
This season could go slightly different, if Firmino's early performances are anything to go by. The Brazilian has been at his absolute best so far, and seems even more dangerous than before.
Sure, Salah and Mane will obviously be up there in terms of goals. But it is Firmino who makes them tick.
He is incredibly important to how Liverpool operates, as proved in Saturday's 3-1 win over Newcastle United. The Reds did not have the best start to the game, failing to get going and eventually going behind. They made it 1-1 soon after but when Firmino came on from the bench, Liverpool took total control of the game.
He was impeccable on the day, running the show for the Reds. He will probably do the same over the course of the season in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
#1 Liverpool will reach the final once again
Jürgen Klopp has managed Liverpool in three European campaigns so far - one in the Europa League and two in the Champions League. The Reds reached the final in every single one of them.
Even though they lost two of the three finals mentioned, their performance is an indicator of just how much the German has transformed Liverpool, along with the astronomical effect that Anfield has on a European tie. Add that astonishing stat to the incredible talent in the Reds' squad, and we might be looking at another Champions League final for the club.
Liverpool are currently one of the strongest teams in Europe and arguably the most settled, along with Manchester City. And despite the fact that Liverpool did not sign a senior outfield player this summer, they seem stronger than ever.
Clubs like City and PSG don't seem to do that well in Europe, while Barcelona and Real Madrid might still be licking the wounds of last season's disappointments. There are other clubs like Bayern Munich and Juventus who will be hungry for the crown, but Liverpool have the firepower to defeat them all.
They have slowly become the juggernaut that everybody fears, and their belief has gone sky-high thanks to the incredible comeback against Barcelona. Also, something about Liverpool playing a Champions League final in Istanbul just feels right.
They will be looking to make it seven on the 30th of May, 2020. But will they?
