Liverpool's bid to be crowned Club World Cup champions for the first time in their history begins on Wednesday night when they face Mexican side Monterrey in Qatar.
The match pits the kings of Europe against the CONCACAF Champions League winners, with the victors setting up a final against either Flamengo or Al-Hilal on Saturday.
Match preview
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The fact that Liverpool have taken all of their key players to Qatar and left the Under-23s at home to play an EFL Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa on Tuesday shows that they are not just treating this as little more than a mid-season warm weather training camp.
The chance to be crowned the world's best team does not come around often and it is a trophy Liverpool have never got their hands on before so, while their Premier League campaign remains the clear priority, there will be no shortage of desire to follow up their Champions League and UEFA Super Cup successes with a third trophy of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Liverpool understandably go into the competition as favourites having enjoyed a remarkable campaign so far, storming into a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League table and advancing to the last 16 of the Champions League, where their title defence will continue against Atletico Madrid.
The prospect of a Boxing Day showdown with high-flying Leicester City looms for when Liverpool return home, but another bonus of their mid-season trip is that their two closest challengers - Leicester and Manchester City - face off at the Etihad Stadium while they are away.
At least one of them is guaranteed to drop points while Liverpool gain a game in hand, then, and should the Reds subsequently overcome the Foxes at the King Power Stadium then it will be another significant step towards a first top-flight title for 30 years.
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Wednesday's test will be a new one for the Merseysiders, though, having never faced Mexican opposition before and only played non-European opposition four times, three of which have ended in defeat.
The only exception came in Liverpool's previous Club World Cup semi-final in 2005, when they beat Costa Rican outfit Deportivo Saprissa before losing to Sao Paulo in the final.
The European representative has won all 14 of their previous semi-finals in this competition and so Klopp's side will be out to avoid an unwanted piece of history by reaching the final for a second time, although any expectations of a clear route into Saturday's showpiece may be naive.
Monterrey are out for their own slice of history as they aim to become the first Mexican club to reach the final of the competition, and they will go into Wednesday's match full of confidence.
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Continental champions for the fourth time earlier this year, Monterrey have not been beaten in any competition since October 2019 - a run of 13 matches which includes 10 victories.
Such a spell was needed too, with Antonio Mohamed's men only just scraping into the Liga MX Apertura finals as a result of their upturn in form and having now advanced all the way through to the final, which takes place over two legs at the end of the month.
Monterrey have not won the Apertura since 2010 so this could turn out to be a memorable month for the Mexican outfit, particularly if they can also win back-to-back Club World Cup matches in the same season for the first time.
A 3-2 triumph over Xavi's Al-Sadd on Saturday set up this Liverpool showdown, and should Monterrey approach the European champions in a similar fashion then it is likely to be an open, attacking and entertaining contest.
There are arguably none better than Liverpool when it comes to such games, though, and Mohamed's side will surely need to be more structured defensively if they are to avoid being punished by Liverpool's in-form attack.
Monterrey Club World Cup form: W
Monterrey form (all competitions): WWDWWW
Liverpool form (all competitions): DWWWWW
Team News
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Georginio Wijnaldum has travelled with the Liverpool squad for the tournament, despite coming off injured during Saturday's 2-0 win over Watford.
The midfielder will continue to be assessed ahead of this match but is unlikely to be risked if there is any lingering doubt over his fitness, particularly with a number of other players available for Klopp in that area of the field.
Klopp could choose to hand some of his players a rest given the number of injuries his side have begun to accrue during the December schedule, although many of the star names should still feature.
Mohamed Salah has scored three fine right-footed goals in his last two games but at least one of the front three could be rested with Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among those pushing for starts.
Dejan Lovren has stayed at home as he looks to recover from a thigh problem, joining Joel Matip, Fabinho and Nathaniel Clyne on the Liverpool treatment table.
Monterrey will be without long-term absentee Aviles Hurtado but have no new injury concerns after the Al-Sadd match and could stick with an unchanged XI.
Rogelio Funes Mori, the twin brother of former Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori, will be their main attacking threat having scored seven goals in his last five games across all competitions.
Monterrey possible starting lineup:
Barovero; Medina, Montes, Sanchez, Vangioni; Rodriguez, Gonzalez; Pabon Pizarro, Gallardo; Funes Mori
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Keita; Shaqiri, Origi, Mane
We say: Monterrey 1-3 Liverpool
Monterrey will by no means be easy pickings for Liverpool and they showed enough in their win over Al-Sadd to suggest that they can cause the European champions problems going forward. However, Klopp's side are capable of punishing their defensive lapses more ruthlessly than their quarter-final opponents, and ultimately that could be the difference in this match.
Barney Corkhill
