Pre Match: Lyon V Liverpool - Wed 04/11/09

Unless the Turkish side win its going to be difficult unless we win.

2006/07 Champions League

Group A

First Three games

FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 Marseille
Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool

(1 point after 3 games)

Final Three Games

Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto
Marseille 0-4 Liverpool

Vaguely remember us reaching a European Cup final that year.

2006/07 Champions League

Group A

First Three games

FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 Marseille
Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool

(1 point after 3 games)

Final Three Games

Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto
Marseille 0-4 Liverpool

Vaguely remember us reaching a European Cup final that year.

I do bloody well hope History repeats itself.

But how are we going to beat Lyon with the injury crisis? Not impossible but maybe a bridge too far? If we can't cope against Fulham, then what's with Lyon away?

Just hope I'm proven bloody wrong on this.

nearly , especially if fiorentina wins  at home to debrecen
 But we have been here before , we can do it , if we recover most of our important    players 
 YNWA

If we beat Lyon and Fiorentina win then we need to beat Debrecen and then it will be olympiacos all over again.

If we can nick three points here and then get a big win in Debrecen we're straight back in this group.

If we can get Agger, Aurelio and Johnson back in defence I'll be much more confident.

2006/07 Champions League

Group A

First Three games

FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 Marseille
Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool

(1 point after 3 games)

Final Three Games

Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto
Marseille 0-4 Liverpool

Vaguely remember us reaching a European Cup final that year.

That was 2007/2008  mate but it still proves your point we got to the semi final that year.

I'm not even gonna bother guessing the team after Fulham and I won't be able to predict the score till I see the team

That was 2007/2008  mate but it still proves your point we got to the semi final that year.

nope it was the 2006/2007 season wasnt it?
07/08 united
08/09 barca
09/10 ...? us?

but it will have a different feeling to fulham, the lads know this is an important game and will be going all out for the win, whereas when theres most of your squad missing its doubtful youll beat fulham at craven cottage
id like to see ngog and torres up front though, maybe he can learn some more so when torres inevitably gets injured again we will have a half decent striker

We need a convicting win.

Would be good to put out something like this, but I doubt 1/3 of them will be fit or well:

                 Reina

Johnson  Carra  Agger  Insua

Kuyt  Masch  Aqui/Lucas  Aurelio

          Benayoun
                  Torres

^^ That line up would be great. But havn't got a clue what the line up will turn out like with all these injury problems.

I do believe Aquilani has to start this game instaed of Lucas ,for the simple reason that he will give many more attacking optionsand keep the Lyon midfiels working harder,yes i know he's not fully fit but the stakes are considerable now and even the walking wounded may be bench options , a substantial change of attack must be used because i for one would rather have a go than wait for a break ,let's take the fight to them !we can win this game and we will , come on you reds !

nope it was the 2006/2007 season wasnt it?
07/08 united
08/09 barca
09/10 ...? us?

but it will have a different feeling to fulham, the lads know this is an important game and will be going all out for the win, whereas when theres most of your squad missing its doubtful youll beat fulham at craven cottage
id like to see ngog and torres up front though, maybe he can learn some more so when torres inevitably gets injured again we will have a half decent striker

No we got through the group easily in 2006/2007 but that was our group results from 2007/2008

2006/07 Champions League

Group A

First Three games

FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 Marseille
Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool

(1 point after 3 games)

Final Three Games

Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto
Marseille 0-4 Liverpool

Vaguely remember us reaching a European Cup final that year.

Hi JD,

Thanks for posting this, I was about to do some work on the above...

But I can cleary remember how we went on winning the final 3 to progress... We simply have to win these 3 remaining games with this one standing out the toughest of the 3... Win this... Debrecen should be 3 points and then its sets out the final game of the group V Fiorentina @ Anfield which we need to win by 2 clear goals to progress...

I think Stevie will be the only casualty in this game... im backing 0-2 win for us..

I do believe Aquilani has to start this game instaed of Lucas ,for the simple reason that he will give many more attacking optionsand keep the Lyon midfiels working harder,yes I know he's not fully fit but the stakes are considerable now and even the walking wounded may be bench options , a substantial change of attack must be used because I for one would rather have a go than wait for a break ,let's take the fight to them !we can win this game and we will , come on you reds !

Aqulliani should play from the start but I dont think he will... 60th min mark he will be on.. we are lacking the creativity from the middle... and i cant wait to see Aqulliani to come and burst through from the middle..

I agree with StevieG123... this should be the side...

Would be good to put out something like this, but I doubt 1/3 of them will be fit or well:

                 Reina

Johnson  Carra  Agger  Insua

Kuyt  Masch  Aqui/Lucas  Aurelio

          Benayoun
                  Torres

If Riera was back, I'd happily move Aurelio back to LB and have him on the left.

If Riera was back, I'd happily move Aurelio back to LB and have him on the left.

Don't you hope Aurelio is back then as well.

Stop moaning in the football threads.  If you've got a problem with the provision of this free forum then head to the forum feedback thread.

Back to the game.  

For me the Champions League is a huge distraction.  I think Benitez is under huge pressure from above about this competition.  In an ideal world I would have liked us to have nailed Sunderland and Fulham and to have enabled some leeway on this.

I highly doubt we will win the Champions League this year but I think getting a result is more important for morale more than anything else.

But with our heavily injured squad I am not at all confident.  If we had our first XI out, or something resembling a first XI then we would probably turn them over.  But it doesn't look like we will.

Sums up exactly how I'm feeling at the moment, I can not add anything else to this unless we start to hear positive news coming out of Anfield, I'm apprehensive to say the least at the moment.

an early goal is a must on wednesday

Since beating us Lyon have only played to games:

Lyon 4-1 Nice

Lyon 1-0 St Etinnee

So they go in with a few big wins under their belt

Don't you hope Aurelio is back then as well.

I do indeed, I'll take any of the injured lot to come back and save us.

Since beating us Lyon have only played to games:

Lyon 4-1 Nice

Lyon 1-0 St Etinnee

So they go in with a few big wins under their belt

the french league is strongly underrated this year.. i think a french team will go far this year