BENFICA----LIVERPOOL
VENUE: Estadio Da Luz
---SQUADS-----------------------------------------------------------
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Traore, Warnock, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Sissoko, Hamann, Gerrard, Kewell, Fowler, Crouch, Morientes, Cisse, Dudek, Carson.
Benfica: Quim, Moretto, Anderson, Luisão, Léo, Alcides, Nelson, Ricardo Rocha, Petit, Karagounis, Manuel Fernandes, Beto, Karyaka, Simão, Robert, Nuno Gomes, Marcel, Mantorras
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIVERPOOL TEAM (PROBABLE)
4-2-3-1
-------------------Reina--------------------
Finnan----Carragher--Hyypia----Riise
----------------------------------------------
----------Didi/Gerrard----Momo---------
Garcia--------Morientes-------Kewell--
---------------Cisse/Crouch---------------
or
4-4-2
------------------Reina---------------
Finnan--Carragher--Hyypia--Riise
-------------------------------------------
--------Gerrard------Momo/Didi------
Gerrard/ Garcia----------------Kewell
-------Crouch/ Cisse---Moro---------
Liverpool have recently started to regain momentum since with three positive wins and performances, the momentum needs to be continued on a permanent basis, the following run of fixtures can really shape our season, so we need to buil momentum and continuing winning. Playing away in Europe we need to be tough and take the iniative from the start, play high tempo and deadly infront of goal, step forward Luis Garcia and Robbie Fowler 
roud:, Garcia returned with a winning goal and now is needed now more than ever. We need to cut out mistakes and build up on a winning run again, as we are entering a tough glut of fixtures which can swing our season. We also need to maintain our momentum and give a good account of ourselves in Europe, beating benfica will be a very big win away from home both in terms of the fixture and the momentum we can reap. The final pass and finishing needs to be worked on as well as the creative part of our game, no doubt Rafa will have spotted it and will work on this, hopefully it pays dividends on the pitch :hopefull:
roud:, Garcia returned with a winning goal and now is needed now more than ever. We need to cut out mistakes and build up on a winning run again, as we are entering a tough glut of fixtures which can swing our season. We also need to maintain our momentum and give a good account of ourselves in Europe, beating benfica will be a very big win away from home both in terms of the fixture and the momentum we can reap. The final pass and finishing needs to be worked on as well as the creative part of our game, no doubt Rafa will have spotted it and will work on this, hopefully it pays dividends on the pitch :hopefull:- Rafa has stated now that he has a fully fit-esque squad for a sustained period in his Anfield tenure, though Bolo is out for the season, hard luck as he was finding form. Garcia was missed, his goal presence and movement is really important for a Liverpool team who has strikers who contribute very little at this current moment :frownani:. Xabi is likely to return after injury , this may possibly free up Kewell and Gerrard to play further forward and be deadly on the counter attack.
- Gerrard I feel will play out wide with Didi or Momo with Xabi in the middle and two players who make the foundation solid and give the creative sparkand control the game. Garcia I think may play possibly wide right or second striker, but will always be roaming in attemtps to open the opposition defence up and getting into goalscoring positions. Also Kewell may play left midfield roaming with probably Morientes in the central deep role and all 3 exchanging positions from time to time, with Kewell possibly as left winger he now seems to be finding his fitness and form. :thumbsup:
- The strikers are unpredicatable as always :depress:, Morientes has lost his feet and seems to become less effective game by game. When Crouch plays we focus on long balls :yuck: and the game goes by Moro, who is less effective as he cannot link play. Cisse is the unpredictable one, he can do some awesome things then miss a one on one sitter, but his pace and his enthusiasm and the fact he's the most dangerous striker suggest he should play. Fowler is our hope for goals, though his fitness isn't the best and Rafa has stated he sees Fowler as an impact player off can be vital, ass his presence and goalscoring instincts will maybe be needed.
- The importance of a win are high, considering the competition is going into it's tough period where the stakes are high and we want to keep in touch and also gain momentum a win would allow for us to gain a psychological advantage, we had momentum and I'd love for us to sustain that again. We are doing well in UCL and we should try and maintain that:thumbsup: this would atleast show we're competing again. Plus after 2 legs we would advance to the quarter final of the cup, hopefully we can really challenge for the trophy.
- A key part of us winning this match will be the defence, we have fifteen clean sheets in EPL a greater tally than what we had in EPL all last season, we should try and build upon that though we've started to make mistakes, if we cut out the defensive mistakes we can build on that as a foundation and go for the win.
- We havent had a 5 game+ winning run for a long time prior to this season:eekani::frownani: I can't remember when we went on a major winning run last (2003?), but hopefully this can be a foundation and we can win and build momentum and go up the league.
- We can win this match, though it will be tough and intense form the start, we need to use our experience and composure to get through this tough away game, cutting out mistakes and taking our chances whilst also maintaining ball retention would be the footsteps to us winning. If we do all these we can win, thoguh that's a statement of the obvious
COME ON REDMEN!!!!
YNWA
THE INJURY FRONT
:tongue:COME ON REDMEN!!!!!
YNWA
