Reds face must-win contest against Besiktas
Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez is hoping that his team gets back on track.
Liverpool, England - Liverpool has its back against the wall and must produce a win on Tuesday at Anfield against Besiktas to keep hope alive of advancing in the Champions League.
The Reds entered Group A as favorites, but proceeded to draw with FC Porto, before dropping its last two games against Marseille and Besiktas.
After reaching the final of last year’s competition, Rafael Benitez and his men now sit at the bottom of the table, six points behind leaders Marseille and four adrift of second-place FC Porto.
Benitez and Liverpool may get a boost with the return of striker Fernando Torres, who is battling an adductor strain and was back in training on Monday.
Liverpool has scored just two goals in its first three games and can use all the offensive weapons it can get. The team is without Xabi Alonso (metatarsal) for a month, while defender Daniel Agger is still out as well.
The team has created plenty of chances in its first three games, but its failure to put goals away in the final third has let them down time and again.
With some better finishing, Liverpool could very easily win its final three games and still grab a spot in the next round, but they now have no room for error.
In Group A’s other contest on Tuesday, surprise leaders Marseille host Porto with the French club holding a two-point advantage on the Portuguese side.
Chelsea have a three-point lead over the rest of the field in Group B, and they travel to Germany to meet Schalke. The London side downed Schalke 2-0 last time out, and they can all but clinch a spot in the second round with another victory, while second-place Rosenborg visits Valencia. The Spanish club is reeling after firing its coach and going through a tough stretch in La Liga, but they can take a big step forward with a win over the surprising Norwegian outfit.
Olympiakos had the lead in Group C after two rounds of games, but they dropped a 4-2 contest to Real Madrid in their last game, and host the Spanish champions on Tuesday in an effort to reclaim the top spot. The Greek club trails Real by three points, while the bottom two clubs, Werder Bremen and Lazio, square off at the Stadio Olimpico.
Shakhtar Donetsk will be looking for revenge when AC Milan comes to town with both teams sitting level on points at the top of Group D. Milan easily handled the Ukrainian side 4-1 at the San Siro last time out, but Shakhtar will be hoping for at least a point to keep themselves in a good position to advance. Benfica earned its first win of the competition last time out against Celtic, and they will try to make it two straight when they travel to Celtic Park.
Wednesday’s action features two Premiership teams, Arsenal and Manchester United, who can both secure spots in the second round with wins.
The Gunners are currently 3-0 in Group H, and visit Slavia Prague needing three points for a spot in the next round, while the other game in the group is between Sevilla and Steaua Bucurest. Sevilla can also all but secure passage if they win and Arsenal beats Slavia.
United can go through in front of its home fans if they down Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team beat the Ukrainian side 4-2 last time out, and should have no problem repeating their victory. Roma can also sit comfortably with a win as they square off against Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
Group E leaders Barcelona and Rangers will meet up once again after the two teams played to a 0-0 draw at the Ibrox. Neither side looked interested in winning the game, but both are still in a good position to advance. That’s because they both hold a four-point lead on third-place Lyon, who can get back in contention with another win against Stuttgart. The French champions beat the German squad 2-0 last time out, and must do so again if they want to advance past the group stage.
The tightest group at the top is easily Group G, with the top three teams separated by only two points. Inter Milan leads the group with six points and has a winnable game at home against CSKA Moscow, while the group’s other game is a battle for second place between Fenerbahce and PSV Eindhoven. PSV trails the Turkish side by one point, but they could only manage a 0-0 draw with Fenerbahce on home soil, and now must travel to Sukru Saracoglu to face a very difficult atmosphere.
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