A big European Champions League night has arrived at Anfield as the near champions Manchester City will arrive to Liverpool tomorrow at 2:45 PM EST. The Reds are on a quest for their sixth European cup, but to do so they will have to face England's finest.
Team News:
The Reds were dealt a massive blow with news that Joel Matip will be out for the rest of the season. Combined with news that Ragnar Klavan is confirmed out by manager Jurgen Klopp, Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren will be the centre-back duo barring catastrophe from now until game time.
Missing out elsewhere in the squad is Joe Gomez, who Klopp claimed will likely miss out "two or three weeks maybe", and Adam Lallana, whose hamstring injury looks set to keep him out a serious amount of time. While unlikely to have played a role, Ben Woodburn is also set to miss out on a potential call to be on the bench of the eighteen man squad.
One man who is only doubtful (albeit, a massive doubt) is midfielder Emre Can, who went off injured in the March 17th match against Watford. Assuming Emre will miss out, it seems likely that the Reds three-man midfield will be manned by Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Wijnaldum or Milner.
Sergio Aguero will be out dealing City a big injury blow. The striker has been battling a knee problem and manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic that he will be able to return in time for the Manchester Derby on Saturday. In the mean time, one would assume that Gabriel Jesus is in line for his fourth straight start as he hopes to add to his previous three, where he's scored twice and assisted once. Fabian Delph is also set to return leaving Guardiola with a multitude of choices at the left back position.
Projected Liverpool Line-Up: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Projected City Line-Up: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Laporte; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Jesus, Sane
Previewing the Match:
This is the first meeting between these two teams since the Reds handed City their first (and only) league loss of the season at Anfield. The first two meetings were goal fests and unforgettable affairs with City beating a shorthanded Liverpool 5-0 early in this season before the Reds gained their revenge to the tune of a 4-3 victory.
This first leg is massive for Liverpool. A home game means the Reds will have the support of the Kop on their side, a fan base who has been starving for those big European nights once again. The defending will be crucial for Klopp's men as City have put in eight goals over the two league games. With a shorthanded defense and no true physical presence in their own midfield against against City's dazzling midfield, the battle seems to be somewhat uphill. Of course, the Reds fire-powered attack will look to prey on a City side that they have already torn apart once this season. Combined with speculation that Aymeric Laporte may slot in as left back for this game, Mo Salah will need to take advantage of this.
Salah is strong enough to play against physical defenders (see: goal vs. Leicester, shrugging off Harry Maguire and scoring the winner) and pacey enough to get past most. Laporte is a different beast, however, and at 6'3" is strong and quick on his feet. As Otamendi struggled against Salah last meeting of these two teams, Laporte will be crucial (if he draws the start). If not, Delph or Zinchenko will have a similar task of halting the Egyptian King's progress.
In the midfield, a similarly interesting battle will occur. It is no secret that City's midfield has helped pull the strings of this stellar season. It will be the job of whomever the three men Klopp selects to prevent distribution to City's own dangerous triad of attackers. Jordan Henderson seems to be a lock and will likely play the role of dropping off deeper on attack and defense, usually between the two centre-backs as he distributes outstanding cross-field passes. Oxlade-Chamberlain will likely gain another start as he scored against City in the previous meeting. His combination of speed and determination will be necessary in tracking the City men around the pitch.
The third slot seems set to go to Gini Wijnaldum or James Milner. Milner has been the assist king in the Champions League this season with six and could square off with his former team. On the other hand, Wijnaldum seemingly has a knack to show up in the biggest games and has even scored against City in a big game last season (getting the only goal in a 1-0 victory). What this may come down to is who Klopp believes can advance the ball forward best while maintaining a slightly deeper role to neutralize the City attack. In this way, this second "deeper" midfielder would allow Oxlade-Chamberlain to advance forward freely with the front three will providing the defense (especially the young Alexander-Arnold) extra cover. This seems to be a role Wijnaldum has maintaining throughout the season and for that I believe (despite Milner's good form) he will get the start.
Final Thoughts:
Liverpool cannot afford to play loosely or carelessly. In the biggest game of the season, in front of what will most likely be the loudest crowd of the season so far, the team must find a way to channel the crowd's energy into a positive way. The combination of Lovren and van Dijk may worry some pundits and fans still, but they have performed strong lately. There is also a second leg that cannot be forgotten about. Liverpool cannot dole a knockout blow at home yet, but they can set themselves up for a match where they only need a draw in Manchester to advance if they stay focused and maintain a strong togetherness in terms of team shape. Is this likely however? The jury remains out. All Liverpool fans will be holding out hope for a victory in the most recent installment of a big Anfield evening. I will be cautiously optimistic be maintain slight pessimism in my projection.
Score Projection: Liverpool 2: Manchester City: 2
This result does not put them down and out, but requires a strong result at the Etihad to move on.
The game tomorrow will be covered by yours truly, a game recap will be up following the game. Tweet me your thoughts about the game at @RMABTweets or leave a comment below.
Team News:
The Reds were dealt a massive blow with news that Joel Matip will be out for the rest of the season. Combined with news that Ragnar Klavan is confirmed out by manager Jurgen Klopp, Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren will be the centre-back duo barring catastrophe from now until game time.
Missing out elsewhere in the squad is Joe Gomez, who Klopp claimed will likely miss out "two or three weeks maybe", and Adam Lallana, whose hamstring injury looks set to keep him out a serious amount of time. While unlikely to have played a role, Ben Woodburn is also set to miss out on a potential call to be on the bench of the eighteen man squad.
One man who is only doubtful (albeit, a massive doubt) is midfielder Emre Can, who went off injured in the March 17th match against Watford. Assuming Emre will miss out, it seems likely that the Reds three-man midfield will be manned by Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Wijnaldum or Milner.
Sergio Aguero will be out dealing City a big injury blow. The striker has been battling a knee problem and manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic that he will be able to return in time for the Manchester Derby on Saturday. In the mean time, one would assume that Gabriel Jesus is in line for his fourth straight start as he hopes to add to his previous three, where he's scored twice and assisted once. Fabian Delph is also set to return leaving Guardiola with a multitude of choices at the left back position.
Projected Liverpool Line-Up: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Projected City Line-Up: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Laporte; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Jesus, Sane
Previewing the Match:
This is the first meeting between these two teams since the Reds handed City their first (and only) league loss of the season at Anfield. The first two meetings were goal fests and unforgettable affairs with City beating a shorthanded Liverpool 5-0 early in this season before the Reds gained their revenge to the tune of a 4-3 victory.
This first leg is massive for Liverpool. A home game means the Reds will have the support of the Kop on their side, a fan base who has been starving for those big European nights once again. The defending will be crucial for Klopp's men as City have put in eight goals over the two league games. With a shorthanded defense and no true physical presence in their own midfield against against City's dazzling midfield, the battle seems to be somewhat uphill. Of course, the Reds fire-powered attack will look to prey on a City side that they have already torn apart once this season. Combined with speculation that Aymeric Laporte may slot in as left back for this game, Mo Salah will need to take advantage of this.
Salah is strong enough to play against physical defenders (see: goal vs. Leicester, shrugging off Harry Maguire and scoring the winner) and pacey enough to get past most. Laporte is a different beast, however, and at 6'3" is strong and quick on his feet. As Otamendi struggled against Salah last meeting of these two teams, Laporte will be crucial (if he draws the start). If not, Delph or Zinchenko will have a similar task of halting the Egyptian King's progress.
In the midfield, a similarly interesting battle will occur. It is no secret that City's midfield has helped pull the strings of this stellar season. It will be the job of whomever the three men Klopp selects to prevent distribution to City's own dangerous triad of attackers. Jordan Henderson seems to be a lock and will likely play the role of dropping off deeper on attack and defense, usually between the two centre-backs as he distributes outstanding cross-field passes. Oxlade-Chamberlain will likely gain another start as he scored against City in the previous meeting. His combination of speed and determination will be necessary in tracking the City men around the pitch.
The third slot seems set to go to Gini Wijnaldum or James Milner. Milner has been the assist king in the Champions League this season with six and could square off with his former team. On the other hand, Wijnaldum seemingly has a knack to show up in the biggest games and has even scored against City in a big game last season (getting the only goal in a 1-0 victory). What this may come down to is who Klopp believes can advance the ball forward best while maintaining a slightly deeper role to neutralize the City attack. In this way, this second "deeper" midfielder would allow Oxlade-Chamberlain to advance forward freely with the front three will providing the defense (especially the young Alexander-Arnold) extra cover. This seems to be a role Wijnaldum has maintaining throughout the season and for that I believe (despite Milner's good form) he will get the start.
Final Thoughts:
Liverpool cannot afford to play loosely or carelessly. In the biggest game of the season, in front of what will most likely be the loudest crowd of the season so far, the team must find a way to channel the crowd's energy into a positive way. The combination of Lovren and van Dijk may worry some pundits and fans still, but they have performed strong lately. There is also a second leg that cannot be forgotten about. Liverpool cannot dole a knockout blow at home yet, but they can set themselves up for a match where they only need a draw in Manchester to advance if they stay focused and maintain a strong togetherness in terms of team shape. Is this likely however? The jury remains out. All Liverpool fans will be holding out hope for a victory in the most recent installment of a big Anfield evening. I will be cautiously optimistic be maintain slight pessimism in my projection.
Score Projection: Liverpool 2: Manchester City: 2
This result does not put them down and out, but requires a strong result at the Etihad to move on.
The game tomorrow will be covered by yours truly, a game recap will be up following the game. Tweet me your thoughts about the game at @RMABTweets or leave a comment below.
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