On Tuesday, the crucial phase of the UEFA Champions League group stage begins. The "Liverpool" club will try to grab the last straw and advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.
The English team must defeat the "Basel" team at home, and in that case, they would secure the second place in Group B. Both clubs are already invincible against Real Madrid, who have won all five matches and have accumulated 15 points.
The portal "EuroFootball.com" shared insights from experts - coach Valdas Dambrauskas and TV commentator Gediminas Reklaitis about the most interesting matches of the day.
"Liverpool" - "Basel" matches are very interesting primarily because of the intrigue. Failure for "Liverpool" to advance from the group, especially one that seemed clear at the beginning of the season, would be a huge failure for the English and a significant sensation.
On the other hand, "Basel" is a real nightmare for the English. Just a few years ago, the same "Liverpool" was eliminated from the Champions League by the Swiss team, and a couple of seasons ago the same fate was experienced by "Man Utd".
This year, the "Reds" are certainly not playing convincingly, and even though the recent results are slightly better, there is almost no improvement in terms of gameplay," said V. Dambrauskas.
Coach G. Reklaitis from "Viasat Sport Baltic" agreed with the coach, stating that it will be difficult for the hosts to press the opponents to the goal and force them to play only defensive football.
"I don't think 'Liverpool' can strike anyone, at the moment they don't have the capacity neither defensively (due to players' form) nor offensively, as the 'Reds' simply don't have intimidating strikers," said G. Reklaitis.
"Basel" is a competent team, playing rational and interesting football, so they have all the chances to play evenly or even win. Of course, much depends on their mood. If they play for a draw, they may be severely disappointed," said G. Reklaitis.
According to V. Dambrauskas, additional strength for the "Liverpool" team may only be provided by the fans gathered in the stadium.
"The match should be very difficult for Brendan Rodgers' pupils, where the only advantage will be the home stadium.
Such a match at 'Anfield' when a win is essential gives players a lot of energy, as the fans stand behind them like a wall. On the other hand, there is a paradox that this season 'Liverpool' plays worse at home than away - they have won less than 50 percent of the matches here.
It will be easier for 'Basel' as they only need a draw, so they can choose a much safer tactic and wait for the opponents' defensive errors. Personally, I would really like 'Liverpool' to advance to the next stage, but I would evaluate the teams' chances as even," said V. Dambrauskas.
Aivaras Katutis
