Football News

Turning Point

It's been a strange old start to the season for Liverpool. They headed in with sky-high expectations after taking home the silver medal in last season's Premier League race, but the mob from Merseyside have lost two and won two in their first four games of 2009-10.

And it could have been worse - for when the half-time whistle blew in their last outing against Bolton Wanderers, it looked like the Reds would go into the international break with three defeats under their belts. However, Steven Gerrard struck late to secure what was a morale-boosting victory.

Spirits have been alarmingly low at Anfield over the early stages of the season, with questions continuing to mount as to whether Rafael Benitez's Xabi Alonso-less squad can match, let alone exceed, the standards set in the last campaign.

The manager has acknowledged the problem but believes the gritty win at the Reebok could prove a turning point for Liverpool.

"When you are not doing well you always need character - and the players showed character against Bolton," Benitez told the press on Thursday. "We controlled the game and although we conceded two goals, we scored three and came from behind to win. That is very positive and hopefully it will be a different situation for us now."

Upsetting The Odds

It is Burnley who visit Anfield this weekend, and recent events indicate that the promoted club could cause their out-of-sorts hosts any number of problems.

The 3-0 drubbing by in-form Chelsea last time out was something of an anomaly for the Clarets, who have sent out warning shots to their doubters with shock wins against Manchester United and Everton.

Thus, although situated three places back in 10th, Owen Coyle's men stand level on points with their upcoming opponents, whom they famously ousted from the FA Cup in 2005.

And while both Burnley's wins so far this season have come at Turf Moor, they head to Liverpool confident of competing. Veteran defender Graham Alexander said recently: "It's an amazing spirit we've got, the gaffer instils it and breeds it that we can beat anyone on our day."

Early trends suggest that away form could be the Lancashire outfit's undoing, as they have yet to pick up a point - or score a goal - on the road this term.

FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

Aug 29 Bolton Wanderers 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
Aug 24 Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa (Premier League)
Aug 19 Liverpool 4-0 Stoke City (Premier League)
Aug 16 Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
Aug 8 Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Friendly)

Burnley

Aug 29 Chelsea 3-0 Burnley (Premier League)
Aug 25 Hartlepool United 1-2 Burnley (League Cup)
Aug 23 Burnley 1-0 Everton (Premier League)
Aug 19 Burnley 1-0 Manchester United (Premier League)
Aug 15 Stoke City 0-2 Burnley (Premier League)

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Five of Benitez's first-team players featured over the international break, including England heroes Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson, but all appear to have reported back to Melwood unscathed.

In some good news, Fabio Aurelio is available for selection after recovering from a freak knee injury sustained duting the summer. Young Emiliano Insua has impressed at left-back in the Brazilian's absence.

Alberto Aquilani (ankle) and Daniel Agger (back) remain sidelined with long-term problems.

Possible Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Mascherano, Lucas; Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun; Torres.

Burnley

Manchester United product Richard Eckersley is back in the frame after completing a suspension, giving Coyle an extra option in defence.

At the other end of the pitch, David Nugent could make his league debut for the Clarets. The one-time England striker - who began his career in Liverpool's youth team - recently moved from Portsmouth on loan.

Nugent has impressed his new manager in training and is an outside chance to start ahead of Martin Paterson, who played in Northern Ireland's midweek defeat by Slovakia.

Possible Starting XI: Jensen; Mears, Bikey, Carlisle, Jordan; Elliot, Alexander, McCann, Blake; Fletcher, Paterson.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Glen Johnson (Liverpool)

The dashing wing-back has made a superb start to life at Anfield since his summer move from Portsmouth, yet his defensively suspect performances for England continue to draw criticism. Thus, he will be hoping to bounce back with another dynamic display in red.

Robbie Blake (Burnley)

In a career that has been spent largely in the lower divisions, this man has often been touted as the best player outside the Premier League. The wily 33-year-old has already shown his class this term with a magnificent strike against Man United - could he undo the other giants of the North West?

PREDICTION

It's always tough to judge what will happen immediately after an international break, but Liverpool seem to have developed a 'flat-track bully' mentality that will serve them well against an impassioned Burnley outfit. Still, they'll have to fight - so a narrow win to the hosts.

Real Madrid have been named as the best club of the 20th century after an exhaustive study by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

The Spanish giants finished out in front of Juventus, who were second, while Barcelona, Milan and Bayern Munich completed the top five in the historic record books.

In recent seasons the IFFHS have judged clubs in order of merit, but have only done so in the Club World Ranking that began in 1991.

Demand was high for a ranking based on titles won, placings in competitions and other factors over the entire 20th century, and now the IFFHS have explained how they reached their conclusion.

"For some years now, the IFFHS has been asked by clubs, sports journalists and fans to determine the clubs of the century for the individual continents but on a realistic basis without imaginary values and subjective influences," the statement on the IFFHS website explains.

"The rankings published so far have been based on the number of titles won or placings or marathon tables in competitions.

"Because the Club World Ranking (by IFFHS) has been determined monthly only since January 1991, it cannot be used as the basis for determining the club of the century.

"The IFFHS has decided these continental clubs of the century and with it continental rankings of century to determine exclusively on the base of individual match results of the continental club competitions.

"The national competitions are merely a prerequisite to qualify for the continental club competitions. Intercontinental club competitions were not taken into consideration."

A point system saw clubs rewarded for their performances in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, Mitropa Cup, Copa Latina and the European Super Cup.

Below are the top ten clubs of the 20th century:

Points Club
563.50 Real Madrid
466.00 Juventus
458.00 FC Barcelona
399.75 AC Milan
399.00 Bayern Munich
362.00 Inter
332.75 Ajax
300.25 Liverpool
299.00 Benfica
231.00 Anderlecht

Juande Ramos has admitted that he is not happy that Real Madrid were paired against Liverpool in the first knockout round of the Champions League in Switzerland on Friday.Los Merengues' coach had hoped to avoid English opposition and he stated that he was not pleased, but did consider that Rafa Benítez would also not be satisfied.

It will be an even contest though as Ramos knows Liverpool well from his time at Tottenham, while the Reds' manager knows Madrid as he was a coach there before."We have not liked the draw that we have been given and I suppose that they will not have either," Ramos told reporters.

"Rafa Benítez knows Real Madrid very well and I also know Liverpool and Benítez well from my time in England."

Although he is not pleased with the draw, Ramos admitted that while Liverpool are a strong side Madrid should not worried about playing any team in particular.

"They are a complete and difficult team and have some very good players," he continued. "But Real Madrid cannot fear anyone and we have the same chances as them to go through."

12:20 CET: Well, what can we take from this? At this stage it's churlish to try to select a "tie of the round" due to the sheer strength of the teams involved, but there are three English teams meeting three Italian teams here in what will surely be huge matches right across the board. Villarreal-Panathinaikos could potentially provide a surprise semi-finalist, while Lyon-Barcelona could be especially intriguing if the French champions get a good first leg result.

That's it for our live coverage, but join us throughout the afternoon and beyond as we bring you the latest reactions from inside the clubs, not to mention our unsurpassed editorial content. And remember, the Goal.com forums are just waiting for your contribution! Goodbye!

12:19 CET: That's the draw complete - here it is in full:

Chelsea - Juventus
Villarreal - Panathinaikos
Sporting - Bayern
Atletico Madrid - FC Porto
Lyon - Barcelona
Real Madrid - Liverpool
Arsenal - Roma
Inter - Manchester United

12:18 CET: And then ARSENAL meet ROMA by default, leaving one more tie - INTERNAZIONALE meet MANCHESTER UNITED!

12:17 CET: Struggling REAL MADRID remain a massive test for... my, oh, my! LIVERPOOL!

12:16 CET: OLYMPIQUE LYON are out next. Lyon are going to face FC BARCELONA!

12:15 CET: And then ATLETICO MADRID are drawn to face... well, it's none other than FC PORTO! Once again it looks like big guns versus big guns are coming up soon - but both of those sides will feel that this tie is winnable!

12:14 CET: Next up is SPORTING CP. They will face... BAYERN MUNICH! Well, this leaves several of the bigger guns free to be drawn against each other!

12:13 CET: VILLARREAL are next out. Who will Manuel Pellegrini's side meet this time? It's... PANATHINAIKOS. (Scroll to the foot of the page to see the whole draw, by the way, as it happens._

12:12 CET: AND WE'RE UNDERWAY! The first team out is CHELSEA. And their opponents... JUVENTUS! Claudio Ranieri meets his old side!

12:11 CET: The UEFA boffin is explaining the different draw permutations. Of course Goal.com has already kept readers informed of who can meet whom here (opens in a new window), so feel free to take a little two-minute snooze until the draw takes place!

12:09 CET: And now a UEFA functionary has appeared to conduct the draw. There are just minutes to go but, curiously enough, the presidential seating at the front of the room is nowhere near full, but the press area at the back is chock-a-block...

12:07 CET: Now we take a moment to remember the contributions of Bruno Conti. The former AS Roma legend is now a UEFA Champions League ambassador. He spent seventeen years with the giallorossi, believe it or not, in a wildly successful career. He may not have ever won the European Cup but he did finish as a runner-up...

12:06 CET: We're now midway through one of those highlight reels that UEFA do so well, in which the 16 remaining sides are being showcased. Of course it's hard to draw too many conclusions from a 20 second clip of each side, but Panathinaikos, despite their relatively modest stature, look to be a force to be reckoned with...

12:02 CET: Mr. Taylor reveals that of the 16 remaining teams, no fewer than 13 are past finalists of Europe's premier competition. I'll let you rack your brains to see if you can work out which three have never made it to the last two...

12:00 CET: And we're underway! UEFA General Secretary David Taylor of Scotland is waxing lyrical about the Champions League's unique charm. Michel Platini, the UEFA chief, sends his apologies - he's at the Club World Cup in Japan at the moment, preparing to cheer on Manchester United (apparently.)

11:59 CET: I'll be watching this article's comments as the draw takes place, so keep them coming. Above all, though, you should think about getting involved with your fellow fans on our Goal.com forums (opens in a new window), where the Champions League is just one of many topics. And, as always, our FREE Goal.com Manager (opens in a new window) game brings you the best of the Champions League excitement.

11:57 CET: Indeed, while Barcelona's draw may be considered "easy", another look at the teams involved suggests that there is no simple passage to the next stage. After all, even those names considered less than huge on the continental stage have their advantages. Panathinaikos, of course, managed to win their group ahead of Inter. The Italian champions thus can only meet Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or Porto. Not long to go now!

11:53 CET: Just seven minutes to go until the ceremonies begin. The draw itself will follow after the usual pre-amble. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has more reason than most to be nervous at the moment: such is his side's seeding that they can only be drawn against Chelsea, Inter, Lyon, or Arsenal. But, as the cliché goes, to be the best, you have to beat the best...

11:46 CET: The great, the good, and the not-so-great of European football are assembled in Nyon to follow the draw, which, in true UEFA fashion, is somewhat Byzantine in its structure. It's not as simple as two sets of seeds being drawn against each other. Instead ther are certain stipulations: teams from the same group must avoid each other, as much those from the same national league. Our Goal.com guide to the qualifiers is here (opens in a new window) if you want a last-minute look at who can face whom.

11:44 CET: Welcome to Goal.com's LIVE coverage of the UEFA Champions League draw in Nyon! I'm Ewan Macdonald and we at Goal.com will be with you every step of the way as Europe's top 16 teams learn their fate on a cold, Swiss afternoon...

DRAW

Chelsea - Juventus
Villarreal - Panathinaikos
Sporting - Bayern
Atletico Madrid - FC Porto
Lyon - Barcelona
Real Madrid - Liverpool
Arsenal - Roma
Inter - Manchester United

Liverpool went two goals down against Hull City on Saturday, before Steven Gerrard leaped to the rescue in typical fashion to give his side a share of the points.Nonetheless, Alvaro Arbeloa reckons the Merseysiders were unfortunate not to claim victory after lifting their game in the second half.

"I thought we played well and we were much better than the last two games at home, but we should have taken all three points," the Spain defender told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"We conceded two bad goals but we then showed character and got it back to 2-2 thanks to Stevie.

"We then had some clear chances towards the end of the first half but we couldn't get the third goal.

"I think we tried everything to win the game. We had three or four clear chances in the second half and Sami hit the post but couldn't score.

"We played really well in the wide areas and I think overall we were unlucky."

Liverpool head to the capital this weekend to take on struggling Arsenal, who have been edged out of the top four by in-form Aston Villa.

Both clubs boast a perfect record against their title rivals this season, and Arbeloa is hoping to complete what would be a prestigious hat-trick.

"We have a difficult game against Arsenal but we believe in ourselves and we can get a good result there," he added.

"We have beaten Manchester United, we have beaten Chelsea and now we want to beat Arsenal.

"We have a really good team and I don't think they are playing their best football at the moment, so we have a good opportunity to show what we can do."

Ian Rush won quite a few trophies with Liverpool during his time with the club in the 1980s. At that time, the Reds swept all before them at home and, prior to the ban on English clubs after the Heysel disaster, in Europe.
Rush, an instinctive and prolific goalscorer, played a huge role in that success, so it's fair to say that he has a good idea about how teams go about winning things. When he points out that Rafa Benitez's current Liverpool side lack creativity, people should probably listen to him.

Speaking today after last night's draw with West Ham United, Rush was fairly clear as to where he feels Liverpool's problems lie.
"Liverpool may have gone top of the league last night but it was another very disappointing display and it’s clear there are problems with the team just at the moment," he said.

"Last night there wasn’t enough urgency and certainly not enough creativity on show.

"And that’s why despite overtaking Chelsea, there are concerns and criticisms around from quite a few people and pundits today.

"The Reds struggled to find the cohesion and flair which was on display earlier this season – and again we failed to break down a team we were expected to beat without too much fuss."

And although Rush gave West Ham credit for their defensive performance, he also felt that Liverpool should have exploited the opportunities that did come their way. After all, the Hammers didn't line up like Stoke City and play entirely defensively at Anfield.

"You get chances to play your football against a team like West Ham – but we played in fits and starts last night," Rush continued.

"We had spells and I know we could well have scored from some of the opportunities, but there was never really the belief out there or a real confidence that we were going to outfox them and break them down."

Rush was also baffled as to why Benitez didn't change his tactics when his original plan clearly wasn't working.

"Another frustration was that when Plan A wasn’t working," said the former Welsh international, "we didn’t seem to have a Plan B to unlock West Ham. A couple of changes were made with Ngog and Babel coming on, but last night it didn’t really seem to have the impact we were all hoping to see."

Rush was not pessimistic though, and rather urged Benitez and his squad to show character and pull together through the rough patch. After all, they are still top of the table, despite Manchester United slowly gaining ground on them.

"It’s when things aren’t going well that you learn most about your players," Rush added.

"You see those who refuse to shrink and stand up to the challenge. So we’ll find out now who the big men and big characters really are in this squad. And let’s hope that’s all of them.

"Liverpool are top but no one’s happy. That’s because we are better than this – the team has proved it with other results and performances this season."

And Rush ended with a rallying cry for the Reds:

"Forget last night now. There are important games coming up and points to be won so let’s go out and start getting them, instead of letting them slip."

According to the Daily Mail, both Liverpool and Manchester United are keeping close watch on Franco Zuculini, the Racing Club de Avellaneda midfielde
The 18-year-old has been hugely impressive in his short professional career of 20-odd games, so much so that Argentina coach Diego Maradona has dubbed him "one of the stars at the next World Cup".

Indeed, Zuculini has been strongly likened to one of Anfield's current favourites - although the original version is only 24 himself, everyone is raving about 'the new Javier Mascherano'.
'El Jefecito' arrived on Merseyside early last year after an ill-fated stint at West Ham United, and has since come to be recognised as arguably the best defensive midfielder in world football.

The former River Plate man signed on permanently for the Reds this January, so it is unlikely they will be seeking an immediate upgrade.

However, with questions being raised over whether Lucas Leiva can cut it in the Premier League, Rafael Benitez may look to ship out the Brazilian youngster and draft in a new understudy to Mascherano and Xabi Alonso.

Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, there are concerns over Owen Hargreaves' long-term future after he underwent surgery recently on a tendonitis problem that has plagued his career.

The Canadian-born England star has played just 25 league games since moving from Bayern Munich last year, and it has been whispered that Sir Alex Ferguson is keeping an eye out for a worthy replacement.

But Liverpool and Man United would not only be battling each other for Zuculini, as it is thought that Juventus are leading the race for his signature.

The Old Lady attempted to lure Mascherano himself to Turin last winter, but the €21 million price-tag was well out of their reach and they opted for the out-of-favour Mohamed Sissoko instead.

But Momo and his midfielder partner, Christian Poulsen, have disappointed all too regularly this term, and Juve are reportedly ready to upgrade when the transfer window reopens next month.

Udinese had a €2.5 million bid rejected by Racing, who are demanding €10 million for their young superstar-in-the-making. However, financial problems mean the Argentine club should settle for around €7 million.

After weeks of negotiations between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, Fernando Torres made the switch to England in the summer of 2007 for €25 million.Many questioned Rafael Benitez's decision to spend so much money a player whose goalscoring record in the Primera Division was no more than decent - even Torres himself, as it turns out.

The trophy that continues to elude Liverpool is the Premier League title and it is one that the club and fans arguably want the most now they have tasted all the other major titles.Talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard though still has his eye on the continent's most prestigious prize, and is insistent that the club must attempt to repeat their 2005 Istanbul win.

"I've got a drive and a hunger to match Istanbul, if not beat it," Gerrard is quoted by Uefa as saying.
"Obviously Istanbul was mine and the club's finest hour for a long time. But I don't just want to milk that final. I think I'd have regrets if I didn't win anything else.

"I can understand why people are saying it," he continued. "We've gone 2-0 down a couple of times, we haven't given up, and we've managed to turn games around. So they're saying we've got title credentials.

"It's nice, but it raises expectations. It's important to stay humble. We know we're a good team, we know we're getting closer to a title challenge - we can say that. But we've got to prove we can stay in the race till the end.

"Liverpool belong in Europe," Gerrard added. "Yes, you have to earn the right to be in it, but our history, the number of cups we've won in Europe, it's our stage, it's where we want to be.

"We see how successful the club have been. Players before our generation delivered, and fans expect the same of us today," he concluded.

Liverpool play Marseille in matchday 5 of the Champions League on Wednesday evening.