please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Hello and welcome to the official match thread for Thursday’s Europa League round of 32 second leg encounter between Liverpool & Zenit St Petersburg. The game is scheduled to take place at Anfield on Thursday 21st of February 2013 with a kick-off time of 8.05PM. ITV1 will be showing the game. (Build-up begins at 7.45PM) Preview. Zenit St Petersburg travel to Merseyside on Thursday to take on Liverpool in the second leg of the Europa League round of 32 with a commanding lead. The first leg took place in Western Russia last Thursday (14th of February) with both sides looking for a positive result to take into the second leg and it was Zenit who secured this positive result. The game was relatively evenly matched up to the 70th minute with both sides creating chances but both sides unable to put them away. Liverpool were especially guilty of this with Luis Suarez missing a number of chances which would have given Liverpool that crucial away goal. Suarez does have 23 goals in all competitions so far this season so one cannot be too critical of his finishing abilities. Brendan Rodgers’ side were made to pay for those missed chances with two quick-fire goals giving Liverpool a mountain to climb in the second leg. After Jordan Henderson was dispossessed midway through the Liverpool half, the ball came to Hulk and the striker ran towards the Liverpool goal before unleashing a shot from around 25 yards which flew past Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal and into the top corner. Things got worse for Liverpool just two minutes later. Aleksandr Anyukov's cross wasn’t dealt with by the Liverpool defence and the Zenit substitute, Sergei Semak, was on hand to put the ball into the Liverpool net and give Zenit a 2-0 lead. Liverpool weren’t able to get an away goal which would have put a completely different complexion on the tie and this leaves Liverpool hanging on in the Europa League and in grave danger of going out. With this leg at Anfield, many people fancy Liverpool to win at home but the chances of overturning a two-goal deficit without an away goal seem slim to say the least. Not impossible but the odds are certainly staked against them… The odds from one of the leading bookmakers (Link here) seem to back this theory up. Liverpool are 7/10 to win Thursday’s game with Zenit out at 4/1. However, the qualification odds are much different. Zenit are clear favourites at 2/9 with Liverpool out at 3/1. A 3-0 Liverpool victory can be found at 14/1 which is what Liverpool need if they can stop Zenit from scoring. A away goal for Zenit would leave Liverpool needing 4 goals. (4-1 Liverpool can be found at 28/1) If Liverpool are to give themselves a chance to qualify, one feels they will need an early goal. If that early goal is to come, you do feel that Luis Suarez will be involved. With Fabio Borini out with a shoulder injury and Daniel Sturridge ineligible, Suarez is the only senior striker that Liverpool have available for this game. He has a decent record in the Europa League with 2 goals from 7 appearances. (Two appearances have been come from the bench) He will be expected to lead Liverpool in the central attacking position with the likes of Stewart Downing, Raheem Sterling or maybe even Oussama Assaidi (Doubtful but you never know… supporting from the wide positions. Another key position for Liverpool on Thursday will be the midfield. If you saw the game between these two sides on Thursday, you could argue that Zenit were able to come from midfield towards the Liverpool box with far too much ease with gave Zenit the opportunity to create chances. This was certainly the case for Zenit’s first goal. That is why I feel that the inclusion of Lucas Leiva in the Liverpool midfield will give Liverpool a better chance in the game and the tie itself. His ability to break up the play just in front of the Liverpool back four could stop this from happening and with this game being Liverpool’s only first game until the 2nd of March (Wigan Athletic away in the Premier League) he seems likely to be involved. Much of the focus will be on Liverpool to see if they can produce another European fightback but you cannot forget Zenit and what they will bring to this game. With Liverpool expected to go for the all-out attack, it will give Zenit opportunities on the counter attack and one Zenit goal will make Liverpool’s task much harder. Hulk seems likely to provide another stern test for the Liverpool defence. The striker scored the first goal in last week’s first leg and seems to be finally settling into the side. He has 5 goals in 17 games so far this season and if Zenit do catch Liverpool on the counter attack, he is a focal point and a target to aim towards and he certainly knows where the goal is. My Betting Tips involve two players I have already mentioned in this preview. With Liverpool needing to attack from the outset and Luis Suarez being Liverpool’s only senior striker, Suarez to score first & Liverpool to win 3-1 looks like good value. Can be found at 50/1 with William Hill. It wouldn’t be enough for Liverpool as Zenit will have got an away goal but I cannot see Liverpool keeping a clean sheet on Thursday. Hulk is another player I have focussed on in this match preview and him to score anytime and Liverpool to win looks like it has some value. 4/1 with William Hill there. (Link for both of those bets can be found here) So, an important game in prospect! Can Liverpool produce another comeback in Europe and qualify for the last 16? Or will Zenit’s two-goal advantage prove too much for Liverpool? You’ll find out the answers to these questions, and more, on the official match thread on the Not606 Liverpool board. Do join in. (That includes the guests that read this thread! Whatever team you support, sign up and get involved!) Injury News. Liverpool. Brad Jones: Shoulder Injury.* Martin Kelly: ACL Knee Injury. Martin Skrtel: Knee Injury. Fabio Borini: Shoulder Injury. Zenit St Petersburg. Injury news currently unavailable. - *Indicates the player may recover from his injury and could be passed fit for Thursday's game. Suspension News. Liverpool. No suspensions currently recorded. Zenit St Petersburg. No suspensions currently recorded. Liverpool 3 - 1 Zenit St Petersburg Goalscorers: Zenit St Petersburg... Hulk: 19th minute. Liverpool... Luis Suarez: 28th minute. Liverpool... Joe Allen: 43rd minute. Liverpool... Luis Suarez: 59th minute. Liverpool: Reina - Johnson Carragher Agger Enrique - Shelvey Lucas Gerrard - Sterling Suarez Assaidi SUBS: Gulacsi Wisdom Coates Henderson Allen Downing Suso - Liverpool Substitution: Joe Allen comes off to be replaced by Jonjo Shelvey. (59th minute) Liverpool Substitution: Jordan Henderson comes off to be replaced by Oussama Assaidi. (59th minute) Liverpool Substitution: Stewart Downing comes off to be replaced by Raheem Sterling. (83rd minute) - Zenit St Petersburg: Malafeev - Aniukov Hubocan Rodić Luis Neto Criscito - Shirokov Denisov Witsel Faitzulin - Hulk SUBS: Zhevnov Alves Lombaerts Danny Semak Bukharov Kerzhakov - Zenit St Petersburg Substitution: Danny comes off to be replaced by Viktor Faitzulin. (45th minute) Zenit St Petersburg Substitution: Nicolas Lombaerts comes off to be replaced by Domenico Criscito. (45th minute) Zenit St Petersburg Substitution: Sergei Semak comes off to be replaced by Milan Rodić. (84th minute) - YNWA.
Reina Johnson carra Agger Enrique Downing Lucas Henderson sterling Gerrard Suarez This is how I would like us to line up, we need goals and Suarez up top on his own will not work as he will drop deep, the only bloke available who I can confidently say will help out with goals is Gerrard so let's move him forward and go for it!! Edit: good thread as always Chris
Wouldn't be surprised to see Sturridge start, we don't have a game after Zenit until the 2nd March so plenty of time to rest
Sturridge & Coutinho aren't eligible. Sturridge has played for Chelsea in the Champions League & Coutinho has played for Inter Milan in the Europa League. Both unavailable for the duration of our Europa League campaign.
where's bluff with his "lets ****ing do this" motivational pics big ask, but we have a chance as long as Allen isn't playing reckon Gerrard is needed further forward as Suarez isolated is useless up top on his own, if they both have their shooting boots on we have a chance,and the pitch isn't going to be as ****e as it was in the 1st leg, so there's hope damn it!
I'd agree with that but suspect Wisdom won't play and downing will. Is it me, or does our team look a hell of a lot weaker when we can't include Sturridge?
TBH I'd rather see Downing in the line-up than Sterling at the moment. However, Raheem will be more useful against Zenit because of his trickier (if he brings that bag with him)
