Liverpool – Besiktas
Europa League
Liverpool is not anymore the great team that was once… they didn’t cross a good form this season and they had been eliminated from the Champions League, having won just one of their six group games.In the Premier League, Liverpool is coming after 4 victories in a row, they have improved massively in the last weeks and are certainly in a much better shape now.
Brendan Rodgers will make a late decision on whether to play Raheem Sterling in this Europa League match against Besiktas, he has missed the last two matches due to a foot injury but he looks ready to make a return on the field.
The club decide it’s priorities and the Europa League it is certainly on the top of Liverpool’s list.They aren’t in a position to take one competition more seriously than another so they have to go all out to win every game in every competition. The FA Cup represents their best chance this season, but winning the Europa League woul also guarantees the entry into next season’s Champions League. So tonight’s match it will be important for the red’s.
Liverpool come into the meeting with Besiktas with a high morale and full of confidence after they win at Crystal Palace and at Tottenham. They have some missing players, one of the most important player that will miss the game is the suspended Lazar Markovic.
Brendan Rodgers have a great succes with his new sistem, it appears to be reaping the benefits and they will look to maintain their good form also tonight.
The last two head to head matches against Besiktas were in 2007 in the Champions League and Liverpool won the last competition 8-0.
Besiktas are undefeated in their last seven matches in UEFA Europa League, they defeated once Liverpool and they have the trust that tonight they could repeat the history. The last time they travelled to Anfield, however, they were thumped 8-0 by Liverpool and will be keen to exact revenge and take a big step towards the last-16 stage of the Europa League. However, Besiktas have been particularly impressive away from home this season. The defeat at the Emirates Stadium was their only loss on the road, but could they face Liverpool that have been impressive in recent weeks and especially at Anfield, where they haven’t been beaten since November?
