Topic: Liverpool vs. Benfica 2nd leg - Thu 8th april, 8.05pm

[Number 7]

Did Benfica end up winning last night? Anyone know?

[Fordy]

Did Benfica end up winning last night? Anyone know?

Yeah 4-2

[Number 7]

Yeah 4-2

Thanks. Well at least they conceded 2 goals, and have had a day less to rest.

[jaffod]

Thanks. Well at least they conceded 2 goals, and have had a day less to rest.

I found it unusual for a foreign side to play a league game so close to an important European game, especially an away game.

Hopefully with the travelling on top it will all work to our advantage.

[John C]

Andy@Allerton?

Ha, I wonder which he'd chose between refereeing us on Thursday or the Mancs tomorrow. Got me smiling that.

[Kennys from heaven]

Let's twat the cheating fucking Portuguese wankers...

Plain and simple.

[McManamanamanaman]

I found it unusual for a foreign side to play a league game so close to an important European game, especially an away game.

Hopefully with the travelling on top it will all work to our advantage.

I thought that too, any advantage taken from it will help.
We got the away goal which was vital as that eases the pressure slightly. They are a good team but felt that if they were going to do any damage it would be in the first game. They are definitely beatable away from home. Fancy us to go through 2-0.

[Beninger]

I won't be settled until it's 3-0...without Babel, I feel we're going to struggle.

[Phil M]

without Babel, I feel we're going to struggle.

One wonders how often that has been said since the lad arrived here?

[Beninger]

One wonders how often that has been said since the lad arrived here?

Not often, and I was definitely not one of them for quite a while...but he tends to back off defenders very easily.  When he's been cutting inside it's opened space for Nando coming in from the left, and I'd have to say he's been looking very good coming in from there.  Babel manages to get the play into the final third directly and indirectly with his speed.

[Gnurglan]

Babel would have been an asset for us in this game. Certainly given the way he's played lately, but now someone else will have to deliver instead.

[exiledintheUSA]

Babel would have been an asset for us in this game. Certainly given the way he's played lately, but now someone else will have to deliver instead.

Riera?

[Babelmania]

Reina

Johnon - Kyriagos - Carragher - Agger

Masch------Gerrard

Kuyt-----Aqua-----Benayoun

Torres

[exiledintheUSA]

                         Reina


          Kyriagos - Carragher - Agger

                         Masch

Johno                                     Kuyt

            Aquiliani        Gerrard
     
                    Benni
                                  Torres

Attack, attack, attack.

[KopThat]

Watching Bojan for Barcelona against Arsenal, shows what a zippy player with good feet, could do alongside a quality striker.

So Pacheco alongside Torres would be great to see, but I doubt he will get the chance.

[Milly]

the last three posts are pure fantasym i would however love it if any one of them came true....
sadly under rafa, no chance... i am slowly losing faith(prove me wrong rafa this season or next you can do it!)

[Ski]

Dunno how many rallying calls there have been in this thread but this would be mine:

we didn't need showing how it's done last week by benfica fans cos we know exactly what to do. Bar the fircracker throwing idiots theirs were superb. They backed their team to the hilt a d screamed and shouted for every decision. Every throw, every free-kick (imaginary and real). They made it he'll for that idiot ref and he caved big time!

Get in early, bring your voices and do what we always do when the stakes are high. Wall of sound from before ko. Let's these know what their in for!

The lads'll do their bit cos after what happened last week they should be chomping at the bit for this one. Let's give Luisao n his mates the welcome they deserve.

As for the ref - we have the power to intimidate the fuck out of him by appealing for every damn thing.

Sometimes the atmosphere goes a bit flat if we concede or after goal celebrations but soon az we've absorbed it we have to go again. We can't rest until the tie is won and retribution has been dealt.

Let's fuckin av it 12th man!!

[GaryM]

Reina

Johnon - Kyriagos - Carragher - Agger

Masch------Gerrard

Kuyt-----Aqua-----Benayoun

Torres

This.

[rafathegaffa83]

The referee is Bjorn Kuipers (NED). He recently officiated Fulham's thrashing of Juventus

[mildale]

With no left backs available I'll be nervous any time they have the ball on the right, though I'm confident our lads can do the business.

[DaveCharlie]

[imagination]It is matchday, players preparing to come on. Rafa leads the team out through the tunnel and onto the pitch and to everyone's surprise he's got Riera under his arm giving him little rib-tickles and occasionally leaning back with an old Father Christmas style "ho ho ho", Stevie and Nando walk out holding hands and showing their mascot lads to do the same all while looking lovingly into each other's eyes, Pepe's got his big bright red clown wig sewn with Masch riding on his back like a little kid, Carra walks out wearing Arbeloa's name and number, lifting his top to show a white T underneath emblazoned with "I belong to Arby", Riise and Bellamy are sitting in the director's box with a pint each, singing YNWA arm-in-arm...[/imagination]

[Number 7]

Reina

Johnon - Kyriagos - Carragher - Agger

Masch------Gerrard

Kuyt-----Aqua-----Benayoun

Torres

That will be the team.

[Finn Solomon]

Personal or not, Rafa has to put the team before any personal dislikes of players.

That implies that the players are willing to play at their best despite their dislike of the manager.

[slickman]

Must win another defeat would send everyone over the edge! hopefully the players dont let us down , any news regarding benifica any injuries is saviola fit?

[klobutruck33]

Must win another defeat would send everyone over the edge! hopefully the players dont let us down , any news regarding benifica any injuries is saviola fit?

Saviola has been ruled out.

Anfield blow for Benfica

Benfica will be without Javier Saviola for their Europa League return with Liverpool on Thursday, according to reports in Portugal.

 Related Links
 The Argentina playmaker has sustained a broken toe and is likely to be out for up to three weeks.

Saviola has been one of the key players for the Portuguese league leaders this season and his absence is a major blow for manager Jorge Jesus.

Benfica could also be without commanding centre-half Luisao, with the Brazilian currently nursing a knee problem.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/anfield-blow-for-benfica

[MidwestWool]

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Please, for the love of god, don't play Benny on the left, the last thing we need to do is give their right hand side free reign to do whatever they want. benny can't play on the left effectively, he doesn't have the discipline to stick to the left. If he's going to play, then swap him and dirk and put dirk on the left, at least he'll keep the shape.

We're going to need to be efficient as well as clinical to see these cheating shitstains off on thursday. Start at a high tempo and press the fuck out of them. The onus is on us, we need to score and i expect to see the desperation there from the first minute. Make no mistake about it, if they can they will cheat their own mothers to get a win. Expect them to dive and timewaste as well as committing cynical foul after cynical foul to try and stop us from playing. We need to be up for this mentally and physically, player, manager and fans alike as it could be a long night.

Let's get an early goal and make them shit their kecks the dirty fuckers!!!

[Una cerveza, por favor]

In want to see Kyrgiakos kick the dirty fuckers after we are 3-0 up.

[klobutruck33]

Hopefully we can do to them what we did to Real Madrid last season and make them 'suffer from the first minute' and go at them from the first whistle.

We'll need to keep Di Maria quiet as he can put in great passes and he shoots quite well.

[7777]

Please, for the love of god, don't play Benny on the left, the last thing we need to do is give their right hand side free reign to do whatever they want. benny can't play on the left effectively, he doesn't have the discipline to stick to the left. If he's going to play, then swap him and dirk and put dirk on the left, at least he'll keep the shape.

We're going to need to be efficient as well as clinical to see these cheating shitstains off on thursday. Start at a high tempo and press the fuck out of them. The onus is on us, we need to score and i expect to see the desperation there from the first minute. Make no mistake about it, if they can they will cheat their own mothers to get a win. Expect them to dive and timewaste as well as committing cynical foul after cynical foul to try and stop us from playing. We need to be up for this mentally and physically, player, manager and fans alike as it could be a long night.

Let's get an early goal and make them shit their kecks the dirty fuckers!!!

Completely agree but who would you play there? He won't play Riera, Babel and Insua are suspended, Maxi is cup tied. Stevie is probably the only alternative so it'll be Benny all day long. If Agger is sat behind him I won't be overly worried

Sorry it it's been asked but if Torres get's booked in this game and we go through, does he miss the first game of the Semi-Final?

[Una cerveza, por favor]

Sorry it it's been asked but if Torres get's booked in this game and we go through, does he miss the first game of the Semi-Final?

Yes, he does. I'd rather we go through and he gets it out of the way.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Completely agree but who would you play there? He won't play Riera, Babel and Insua are suspended, Maxi is cup tied. Stevie is probably the only alternative so it'll be Benny all day long. If Agger is sat behind him I won't be overly worried

Sorry it it's been asked but if Torres get's booked in this game and we go through, does he miss the first game of the Semi-Final?

Honestly, i'd much rather have Kuyt out on the left (and yes i know it won't happen) than benny, or Gerrard. I'll be worried for whoever's behind him as it'll basically be the LB relying on one of the CM's to help him cover the winger, who could well be di maria (sp?) I'll be expecting a very long night if it's benny. Sorry, that sounds like i'm really down on yossi as a player, i'm not, I just honestly think he's a very bad option for the left. Would love him to shut me the fuck up though if he does start there

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

                    Reina

           Carra     Kiri    Agger

               Mash  Gerrard
Johnson                            Benny

                 Aqua

            Kuyt     Torres


Is this that daft??

[John C]

                    Reina

           Carra     Kiri    Agger

               Mash  Gerrard
Johnson                            Benny

                 Aqua

            Kuyt     Torres


Is this that daft??

Just benny as a bit of a wingback may cause some problems mate.

[sidneyroughdiamond]

Lets get after this lot, this season has been demoralising and depressing but if we can just get into a semi final against a team such as Atletico or Valencia it will give us some enthusiasm as we come to the climax of the season.

[fivein05]

Lets get after this lot, this season has been demoralising and depressing but if we can just get into a semi final against a team such as Atletico or Valencia it will give us some enthusiasm as we come to the climax of the season.

Amen Brother Amen

[Sorted!!]

The referee is Bjorn Kuipers (NED). He recently officiated Fulham's thrashing of Juventus

Well, I'll take two red cards for the away team and a penalty to the home team as well.

After that, a similar scoreline would be handy.

[freedom]

Lets get after this lot, this season has been demoralising and depressing but if we can just get into a semi final against a team such as Atletico or Valencia it will give us some enthusiasm as we come to the climax of the season.

 

Amen

[buchigo!]

[RigBon1892]

Look how young he looks there! I'm sure if we win tomorrow night though, it'll be a nice early birthday present for his big 5-0.