Liverpool take on Olympique Lyonnais at Anfield on, kick-off at 19:45 hours (BST). Tuesday’s clash on Merseyside will be a first as the Reds and Lyon have never met in European competition. Rafa Benitez’s side will be looking to put an end to a recent poor run of results when they face the French outfit. Three straight losses, two in the Premier League away to Chelsea and last weekend at Sunderland, plus a Champions League defeat on the road against Fiorentina.

Fernando Torres will sit out the fixture with Olympique Lyon. The striker though will hopefully be back for Sunday’s match at Old Trafford with league leaders Manchester United, a view shared by the Liverpool boss: “Torres is still not ready. Hopefully he will be for the weekend, but not for this game.”

OL are currently unbeaten in Group E with maximum points. Both teams went into round two of matches as joint leaders. Liverpool had beaten Debreceni VSC at Anfield 1-0, with Olympique Lyonnais seeing off Fiorentina by the same score.

The second group games took place on September 29. The Reds travelled to Italy to face Fiorentina and Lyon travelled to Hungary to face Debreceni VSC. Liverpool came back from Italy empty-handed, losing 2-0, Jovetic scoring twice. Lyon beat the Hungarian debutants 4-0 at Ferenc Puskás Satdium in Budapest. Gomis hit the fourth for the visitors in the 51st minute after first-half goals from Kallstrom, Pjanic and Govou.

The Ligue 1 leaders arrive for the meeting at Anfield on the back of a surprise home defeat to FC Sochaux. Goals from Faty and Privat condemned Lyon to a 2-0, their first loss of the season.

The Champions League meeting on Merseyside is the first part of a double header. On matchday 4, Liverpool travel to France on November 4 where they will face Olympique Lyon at the Stade de Gerland.