The Reds are one of five sides still unbeaten in this year’s competition, having followed up draws with Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce by beating PAOK, Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen.
The 12 points that we’ve gleaned from those games places us within the top eight of this season’s league phase, which could be vital come the early months of next year.
While finishing in a position between ninth and 24th would still offer the safety net of a play-off spot, head coach Ruben Amorim has explained the importance of avoiding those extra fixtures.
The boss wants time to work with his squad on the training pitches at Carrington, and an automatic berth in the last 16 – rather than having to play two more games to get there – would free up a couple of midweeks in February.