The pair have already won three individual World Cups this season and are fresh from picking up four out of five titles at the European Championships in Dordrecht earlier this month.

With neither China's 500 metres Olympic champion Wu Daijing or The Netherlands' Sjinkie Knegt set to take part at the EnergieVerbund Arena, both Liu brothers will be confident of adding to their collection of wins this season across the 500m and 1,000m.

In the men's 1,500m South Korea's Lee June Seo currently leads the standings, while his compatriot Kim Gun Woo - who won gold in Almaty earlier this season - sits second.

South Korea could well dominate the podium in Dresden, as another skater form the Korean peninsula Hwang Dae Heon is third.

On the women's side Russia's 21-year-old Sofia Prosvirnova will go for her first World Cup win of the season in the 1,500m.

She is in top form having won a gold, two silvers and a bronze at the European Championships earlier this month, but will face tough competition in Dresden from another South Korean Choi Min Jeong - the reigning Olympic champion - and Dutch star Suzanne Schulting - the current European gold medallist.

Elsewhere, in the women's 500m Poland's Natalia Maliszewska could be considered the favourite as she tops the World Cup standings and recently won gold at the European Championships.

Looking to stop her though will be Hungary's Petra Jaszapati who won in Almaty, and The Netherlands' Lara van Ruijven, who claimed 3,000m relay bronze in Pyeongchang.

No finals will take place tomorrow, with early round action at 500m, 1,000m and in the relays.

The first titles will be decided on Saturday (February 2), at 1,000m and 1,500m.