A guide to Sydney FC, the A-League champions

The Reds travelled out to Australia on Monday night ahead of the fixture at the ANZ Stadium, which gets under way at 11am BST. Tickets for the game are available here.

Here’s what Jürgen Klopp’s 25-man squad – which will include legends Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman – can expect…

Their season...

Sydney FC’s season concluded earlier this month with a dramatic Grand Final triumph over their biggest rivals, Melbourne Victory, on penalties at their home ground, the Allianz Stadium.

During the regular campaign, the Sky Blues were a dominant force in the A-League, losing only once in 27 matches and conceding a miserly 12 goals as they cantered to a first-place finish, 17 points ahead of Victory.

Topping the table with a record points haul for the competition earned them the Premiers’ Plate, awarded to the team at the summit ahead of the final series – the club’s first silverware since 2010. But further success was in their sights.

Perth Glory were beaten 3-0 in the semi-finals, setting up a blockbuster Grand Final contest with Victory – which had to be decided via a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw between the sides in normal and extra time.

Four kicks apiece saw Sydney establish a 3-2 advantage, allowing Milos Ninkovic – the winner of the Johnny Warren Medal for A-League Player of the Year – to step up and seal a stellar season with Grand Final glory.

Watch the game live on LFCTV or LFCTV GO (excluding Australia and New Zealand)

Their manager...

Graham Arnold took charge of Sydney FC as head coach in May 2014 and has wasted little time in guiding the club to new heights at the top of the game in Australia.

A former assistant and acting coach of the national team, with experience at the World Cups of both 2006 and 2010, he had previously held the reins at fellow A-League side Central Coast Mariners, where he won the championship in 2012-13.

Arnold went close to earning immediate success for the Sky Blues in his maiden season but tasted defeat in the Grand Final with a sobering 3-0 reversal at the hands of Melbourne Victory.

A slump followed and Sydney FC found themselves completely out of the title picture in 2015-16, ultimately having to settle for seventh place out of 10, though that perhaps only makes their imperious performances during the past seven months all the more impressive.

Their key players...

As previously mentioned, Ninkovic was widely considered the Sky Blues’ standout performer across the A-League campaign, contributing nine goals and 11 assists en route to becoming champions.

The 32-year-old, who previously spent the large part of his career with Dynamo Kyiv after signing as a teenager, thrives from a central position in midfield and showed nerves of steel to settle the Grand Final from 12 yards.

Goalkeeper Danny Vukovic proved an inspired signing for Sydney, conceding at a ratio of just under a goal every two games in his 28 appearances and recording 16 clean sheets. He was chosen as the division’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

At the other end of the pitch, Brazilian striker Bobo – full name Deyvison Rogerio Da Silva – top-scored for Arnold’s charges with 15 during an ever-present season up front.

Their say...

“I think it’ll be a competitive match played in good spirits. No-one wants to go out and lose, both teams and sets of players have pride. It’ll be a very enjoyable match. They’ve got Steven Gerrard coming back and playing, and for a lot of boys in the team that support Liverpool it’ll be great to be playing on the same field as him. It’ll be a great night for the club.”

Alex Brosque, Sydney FC captain

“We’ll put our best foot forward and hopefully give them a good run for their money. Obviously it was a very successful season for us but playing against Liverpool will be massive. It’s going to be a massive crowd and such a big club in Europe and personally my favourite team too, so it will not only be good for me but the boys are pretty pumped.”

Rhyan Grant, Sydney FC right-back and boyhood Liverpool fan

The stadium...

This will not be the first time a Liverpool side has played at the ANZ Stadium.

The Liverpool FC Legends took to the same turf back in January 2016 for a meeting with an Australian Legends team, running out 4-0 winners on the evening – with Luis Garcia (two), Ian Rush and John Aldridge the goalscorers.

The multi-purpose venue on the east coast of Australia – which was built for the 2000 Olympic Games – plays host to numerous sporting and entertainment events throughout the year, and will welcome thousands of local Reds on Wednesday night.