What Liverpool will face in Belgrade will be a world away from the Premier League – and debating the Xherdan Shaqiri decision

Tonight is Liverpool’s first trip to Belgrade since October 1973 when they suffered the first of two defeats to Red Star to exit the European Cup. They proved to be a watershed moment for legendary manager Bill Shankly, who changed the club’s approach to European football after those nights. But while it’s unlikely the events of this evening will have such a profound effect on the course of Liverpool’s footballing history, it is a big match for Jurgen Klopp’s side. They top Group C after sweeping aside Red Star 4-0 at Anfield two weeks ago and, with Paris Saint-Germain taking on Napoli later on tonight, victory for Liverpool could see them move a big step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages. But will it be another procession against Red Star given the atmosphere awaiting them at the Marakana and given the 1991 European champions' record in front of their passionate supporters? To answer those questions, and many more, including Liverpool's decision to leave Xherdan Shaqiri at home, Paul Wheelock speaks to Belgrade-based sports journalist Nebojša Marković. Nebojša also talks Liverpool’s two Serbian players, Marko Grujic and Lazar Markovic, before you hear from our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce. James is over in Belgrade for the ECHO and, to round off this Preview podcast, he brings us all the big talking points from Klopp's pre-match press conference. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices