Liverpool FC Forum

[europian-kings]

Well after todays win, weather it was a good performane or not, we must now focus on Real Madrid.

We have the away goal going into this match which could prove to be vital and although a draw will put us through i think we need to go out there and play to win!
Real Madrid have too much quality to sit back and defend the away goal for 90 minutes.

While we lost to Middlesboro, Madird bounced back beating Espanyol with Guti and Raul on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win.

However, we now have 7 days rest while Real Madrid have to entertain their rivals Atletico 3 days prior to this game. And with Madrid slowly creeping up on barca, they will not be resting any players one would assume. This will hopefully give us a very slight advantage.

Really looking forward to this game, i hope torres is fit aswel as arbeloa!

Lets get to the quarters Red Men!

[Sabre]

Real Madrid have too much quality to sit back and defend the away goal for 90 minutes.

Yes, but I wouldn't want a mad game either with lots of chances and them scoring soon and an open game. A 1-1 at home mate would be a very dangerous situation.

I know we play at home, I know our team size forces us to look at Madrid eyes directly, but if any, they're the ones who have to take the risks. Meaning we should of course look for a goal, but I want details like Aurelio taking care of his wing and not get caught.

[Owzat]

I prefer away leg second, reason being sides know what they need to do in terms of away goals. We had it against Arsenal last season, we scraped through but if you remember the way the game went then we looked fecked every time they scored. We won't want to concede and want to score at the same time, any win for them will put us out or go to extra time. Even if we score two, they know they will need three and they're through.

The second leg is crux time, first leg the away side will settle for 0-1 or a draw and not push all out for away goals like they will if they need to second leg.

Liverpool vs Arsenal (07/08 Champions League QF)

1st leg (1-1, Emirates) - Arsenal went ahead early through Adebayor, but much maligned Kuyt equalised very soon after to give us an away goal. A result Arsenal wouldn't have settled for at the time, but the away side usually takes the draw and away goal.

2nd leg (4-2, Anfield) - Arsenal took an early lead again, leaving us tense as our away goal had already been cancelled out. Hyypia equalised on the half hour and Torres gave us the lead on 69 minutes. BUT the away goal threat wasn't gone and Adebayor drew Arsenal level with SIX minutes to go, if I recall we were pushing for another goal and Walnut ran through our fairly vacant midfield to set him up. We looked fecked, Arsenal with the advantage of knowing what impact scoring would have and that they could still score away goals while we obviously couldn't.

And just as we were all fearing an exit, Babel went down in the box and Gerrard tucked away the penalty. Babel then secured our passage through, but twice we were in serious danger of going out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7332209.stm


This time we are one goal up, but the threat of away goals can't be ignored. We need an early goal and then to make most of their attempts to fight back if we want an easy night. What we don't want is them to score first or it to go goalless for 60 or 70 mins and suffer Rafa's substitutions. I seem to recall a night against Brondby where they stole the game right at the death - only goal 78 mins into the second leg, an away goal so we'd have needed two to go through. Our two substitutions were made around the same time, we needed to score but didn't change anything until the last fifteen minutes - sound familiar? We may have had great nights in Europe, but how many have been easy?

So do we try and control the game, go for a 1-0 or draw to see us through? Or do we look to kill them off? I can see it turning into one of those "great European nights at Anfield" where we do it the hard way!

[bigmick]

I think we'll win 1-0, and Torres will score it if fit, if not Gerrard will score. Do you ever get them deja vu moments, I just had such a vivid one then

[stmichael]

I can't see anything other than this if everyone is fit:

                                 Reina

         Arbeloa        Carra       Skrtel       Aurelio

                    Mascherano      Alonso

         Kuyt                 Gerrard            Benayoun

                                Torres

[RichardLFC1]

Got a feeling some players wont be risked against Real madrid.

Id play

Reina

Arbeloa
Carra
Skrtel
Insua

Benny
Mascherano
Alonso
Riera

Gerrard

Torres

I think Rafa will play

Reina

Mascherano
Carra
Skrtel
Aurelio

Benayoun
Gerrard
Alonso
Riera

Kuyt
Ngog

Aslong as we go through ill be happy

[JoeTerp]

Got a feeling some players wont be risked against Real madrid.

Id play

Reina

Arbeloa
Carra
Skrtel
Insua

Benny
Mascherano
Alonso
Riera

Gerrard

Torres

I think Rafa will play

Reina

Mascherano
Carra
Skrtel
Aurelio

Benayoun
Gerrard
Alonso
Riera

Kuyt
Ngog

Aslong as we go through ill be happy

Inusa is not allowed to play.

[Owzat]

Inusa is not allowed to play.

You make it sound like his mum didn't sign a form or something giving permission 

Got a feeling some players wont be risked against Real madrid.

I'd be very surprised if Rafa doesn't play strongest available XI - at least in his eyes the strongest XI. I know Rafa and Hiddink have made "all the right noises" to the media about maintaining pressure on the mancs, but they must realise it would take an implosion by the mancs for them to be stopped. We could lose at old trafford even with our best XI, a strong CL campaign may, in Rafa's mind if not the owners, salvage his season

[Madmax]

will be a tough game as ever but i think we will win 2-1 with real scoring within the first 10 mins   ....  For me if we could beat real and then beat mannure on thier own turf will be just fecking BOOOM!!!

[hello_red]

We need to seek a goal, they will come at us and try to get the tie equaliser. Try and contain them for the duration of the first half then in the second go at them like rabid dogs!

Im thinking No. 6 and No. 19 come May, gotta have faith I suppose.

[mkingdom]

As much as there are lots of us feeling pretty down after seemingly pi$sing away the league from a commanding position....

If we win our next 2 games, then things look a whole lot more rosey.  Sure, winning the league is still not likely, even with a win at OT, but doing the double over them would be nice, and it puts us in a position where we can apply some pressure to them.

So, all we have to do is beat Real and Utd and we'll all be cheery again        

[europian-kings]

As much as there are lots of us feeling pretty down after seemingly pi$sing away the league from a commanding position....

If we win our next 2 games, then things look a whole lot more rosey.  Sure, winning the league is still not likely, even with a win at OT, but doing the double over them would be nice, and it puts us in a position where we can apply some pressure to them.

So, all we have to do is beat Real and Utd and we'll all be cheery again        

How hard can it be?? 

[Madmax]

Very unlikely that will win the league but what will make it up for me is if we get paired with mannure (assuming we both go through) in the latter stages of the champs league and kick them out..

Also beating them at old sh.itford in the league aswel...

[Greavesie]

dunno if I'm behind in the times or I've been reading and absolute pile of b0llocks, but I've just read that next year the top three will automatically qualify for the champions league i.e. play no qualifier rounds whereas fourth place will start in the second qualifier and has to play two qualifier rounds. Can anyone clarify this for me?

[Owzat]

dunno if I'm behind in the times or I've been reading and absolute pile of b0llocks, but I've just read that next year the top three will automatically qualify for the champions league i.e. play no qualifier rounds whereas fourth place will start in the second qualifier and has to play two qualifier rounds. Can anyone clarify this for me?

The UEFA Champions League, UEFA's most prestigious club competition, will undergo a series of significant changes from 2009/10 following a decision from the UEFA Executive Committee in November 2007.

The main points are:

• No changes to the format of the main competition, which will still involve 32 teams, split into eight groups of four in the group stage, followed by the knockout phase. The eight teams that finish the groups in third place cross over into the knockout phase of the new UEFA Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup.

• The 2009/10 access list has been changed according to the following principles: 22 teams (21 teams + the titleholder) qualify directly for the group phase instead of 16. The three national associations with the highest UEFA coefficient ranking will each have three teams who gain automatic entry to the group stage, with the countries ranked 4 to 6 in the standings having two automatic qualifiers and the associations ranked 7 to 12 having one.

• As from the 2009/10 season onwards, there will be four qualifying rounds (including a play-off round), to be played in home-and-away ties, to complete the 32 participants in the UEFA Champions League group stage. There are two qualifying routes; the Champions Path and the Best-placed Path.

• Champions Path: The first qualifying round comprises three two-legged ties involving the champions of the countries ranked 48 to 53 in UEFA competition. The winners of those ties progress to the second qualifying round where they are joined by the champions of the 31 countries ranked 16 to 47 (except Liechtenstein). The victorious sides from those 17 ties join the champions from the associations ranked 13 to 15 in the third qualifying round, with the winners of those ten pairings reaching the play-off round. These five play-off ties will take place on a home-and-away basis with the winners qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Best-placed path: The third-placed side from the sixth-ranked member association, plus the runners-up from the associations ranked 7 to 15, start the competition in the third qualifying round. The winners of these five ties progress to the play-off round, where they are joined by the fourth-placed sides from the associations ranked 1 to 3 and the third-placed teams from the associations ranked 4 and 5. The victorious teams from the five play-off ties qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/format/newsid=788373.html

BUT this section seems a lot clearer

2009/10 UEFA Champions League access list
NB: The information included in these lists is for information only

IOC Stage Club

TH Grp

ENG1 Grp
ENG2 Grp
ENG3 Grp
ENG4 PO*
ESP1 Grp
ESP2 Grp
ESP3 Grp
ESP4 PO* 
ITA1 Grp
ITA2 Grp
ITA3 Grp
ITA4 PO*

* Best-Placed Path

Best-Placed Path is defined in the other section in blue, underlined is the part for fourth placed sides in associations ranked 1-3