Standard Liege v Liverpool

I think it will be a 2-1 final....goals from Torres and Agger

Hope against hope! Aurelio will take his place then.

He's a right back by the way and Dossena is a left back.

I'll a say a scrappy 2-0 win to us.

                               Reina

 Arbeloa      Carragher       Agger       Dossena

 
  Kuyt            Alonso         Plessis         Benny

                         Keane
                                 Torres

BENITEZ WON'T CHANGE MUCH FOR LIEGE
Jimmy Rice 11 August 2008 from lfc.tv
   Rafa Benitez has revealed his starting XI against Standard Liege on Wednesday is unlikely to differ too much from that which took to the field against Lazio.
Most of the club's big guns were on display on Friday night, aside from our three Olympians and Steven Gerrard, who faces a race against time to be fit for the Belgium trip due to a thigh strain.
 
If the skipper doesn't recover in time, it could be Damien Plessis who again fills the midfield void.
 
Benitez said: "More or less the side that played against Lazio will be the one that plays in the Champions League on Wednesday in Belgium.
 
"Most of the senior players were involved, this will be the side that plays against Standard Liege.
 
"The situation has been very difficult for us, we have had a lot of players returning to training late after international games in the summer and now we have players at the Olympics.
 
"It has given me a chance to see the young players during pre-season, and I am sure that the future of the club is guaranteed.
 
"I believe we are ready for the Champions League tie, the experienced players are ready. But we know that we have quality from the young players. the few young players  are not loaned must stay with us.
 
"I have not decided whether any more will go out on loan, it depends on whether we sell anyone else. If we do not bring anyone else in, maybe we do not need to loan any of the youngsters."

After this i think that the starting xi will be like crouchinho. Alonso must play with either plessis or spearing in the middle.

Damn, can't get ITV1 over here and it's not listed on UTV. 

UTV Ireland? I think it may be,

http://www4.u.tv/tvlistings/viewprogram.asp?id=10274382

unless its a different UTV

UTV Ireland? I think it may be,

http://www4.u.tv/tvlistings/viewprogram.asp?id=10274382

unless its a different UTV

Legend, thank you! It wasn't listed in my tv guide!

Legend, thank you! It wasn't listed in my tv guide!

No Worries, just hope its the right UTV

I predict a comfortable win for Liverpool. Standard will miss their best defender with the suspension of Onyewu and their other star, Marouane Fellaini, has just returned from China and hasn't had a great tournament to be honest. There is also a chance that their best attacker, Milan Jovanovic, won't play, because he would be on his way to PSV Eindhoven. A place in the team wednesday would ruin his European season with PSV.

Their main weak point is the replacement of Onyewu, a Croatian defender called Mikulic. No good positioning, low pace and quite nonchalant.

I'm Belgian and I've been in Liege with Bruges several times. It's a nice, sometimes hectic, southern atmosphere.

Good luck.

Reina

Arbeloa  Carra Agger Dossena

            Xabi  Spearing

Kuyt     Keane    Yossi
           
           Torres

Thats what Id go with against Liege. Potentially a trickier tie then some may think so 1 nil would do for me and finish the job at Anfield
 

Bloody hell John, you really won't people to see this thread don't ya?

I think it's quite likely that Plessis will start as many of you have suggested, I also note Rafa saying after Lazio that we are still weak on the left? surely this is ONLY down to the injured Aurellio? hope so anyway and Arbeloa/Dosenna can fill in for a while, as for the left wing Yossi is more than capable of looking after his own back and charging down the flank as good as many other prem wingers. 

I say we go with Crouchino's team, kill them off fast then stick Pacheco and El Zhar on and see if they are ready for the CL, also get them cup tied too they are gonna be big stars and we need insurance!

                           Reina

 Arbeloa      Carragher       Agger       Dossena

 
 Pennant           Kuyt         Plessis         Benny

                         Keane
                                 Torres

have a strange feeling that he wont play alonso................ dont ask where i get my ideas but kuyt is a hard worker and he has been played everywhere else................... match result 1 : 1........ but away goals are good, or benitez could go kind of defensive

From liverpoolfc.tv

 Steven Gerrard is still in contention for a place in Liverpool's midfield against Standard Liege after Rafael Benitez confirmed his skipper will be on the flight to Belgium on Tuesday morning. 
Gerrard faces a race against time to be fit for the Reds' first competitive match of the new season after picking up a thigh strain during last week's friendly in Valerenga.
 
"I was talking with him this morning and he will go with us to Belgium," said Benitez.
 
"He is progressing really well but we will check tomorrow after training. I will speak with the doctor and with Steven and then decide."
 
Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Philip Degen are all definitely ruled out of the clash in Liege as they recover from knocks sustained during the pre-season programme.
 
"Martin and Fabio are training with us but they will stay here," confirmed the boss. "They are not ready for this game but hopefully both will be available for the weekend.
 
"Philip isn't training with us yet and is a little behind the other two." 


Stevie may play then!

Good to hear that Stevie is traveling with the squad, heard that Rafa is most likely to start with the same 11 that played against Lazio. Strong line-up, can expect to see Stevie after the hour mark I'd imagine.

I wonder what the Liege fans are thinking about drawing us ... do you think they'll be confident after winning their League, or do you think they'll be shitting themselves?

                            Reina

                     Skrtel        Agger     
Carragher                                      Dossena
                       
                        Alonso/Plessis*

Kuyt              Gerrard/Alonso**     Benayoun

                  Keane          Torres

* - In the event that Gerrard is fit to start, Xabi Alonso would play in a DM role.

** - In the event that Gerrard isn't able to start, Xabi Alonso would play in an AM role, putting Plessis into a DM role.

It'll be great to watch this one, being this season's first competitive match. Rafa has been doing his tests and tries throughout pre-season so I doubt he'll be looking to relax on this one. So this where we see Rafa put on the strongest squad available, a selection to accomodate Robbie Keane's arrival to the team. Here's my prediction of the formation, without the inclusion of Gerrard.


                             Reina

Arbeloa       Carragher      Agger       Dossena

                  Spearing      Alonso

         Kuyt                         Benayoun
                      Keane

                           Torres


I'm predicting Spearing or perhaps Plessis will partner Alonso, but it wouldn't be a really deep position. Possibly pushed up a bit into the CM's position.

Here is the squad list from the UEFA site

Goalkeepers
No.   Name
1   Dieogo Cavalieri
25   Pepe Reina
34   Martin Ronald Kelly
41   Martin Hansen *

Defenders
No.   Name
3   Steve Finnan
4   Sami Hyypiä
5   Daniel Agger
12   Fábio Aurélio
17   Álvaro Arbeloa
22   Emiliano Insua Zapata
23   Jamie Carragher
32   Stephen Darby
36   Steven Alan Irwin *
37   Martin Škrtel

Midfielders
No.   Name
8   Steven Gerrard
14   Xabi Alonso
15   Yossi Benayoun
16   Jermaine Pennant
26   Jay Spearing
28   Damien Plessis
31   Nabil El Zhar
35   Ryan Flynn *
39   Nathan Gregory Junior Eccleston *

Forwards
No.   Name
7   Robert David Keane
9   Fernando Torres
10   Andriy Voronin
18   Dirk Kuyt
19   Ryan Babel

36   Steven Alan Irwin *

You little ripper!

Steve Irwin from the youth team I would assume! Not sure what the story is with the middle-names though!

37   Martin Škrtel

Is he still using number 37? I thought he changed.

I wouldnt risk stevie for this one, we can beat them without him.

39   Nathan Gregory Junior Eccleston *

Another youth lad come through? never heard of him before, anyone know what he's like?

Another youth lad come through? never heard of him before, anyone know what he's like?

Inteview with him from the offal.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158718080205-1023.htm

Inteview with him from the offal.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158718080205-1023.htm

Ta Reepicheep hun