Liverpool Football Club return to the Champions League tonight and it’s a competition that they believe they belong in.

Their first encounter sees the Merseyside club face their biggest rivals Sevilla at Anfield in Group E.

It could be a vital to get a win over the La Liga side if Liverpool want to top the group.

The fixture has added significance due to side’s hefty 5-0 defeat by Manchester City last weekend.

Now that loss would have hurt Jurgen Klopp and his squad but it’s how they react to that kind of defeat that will show us if they are ready to push things forward this term.

They can’t afford to sulk and wallow in self pity, they need to show that they can learn from defeat and that they can come back stronger.

Up until that heavy loss in Manchester, Liverpool had looked good so far this season. In fact they had looked good at the Etihad until Sadio Mane was sent off.

They look sublime going forward but unfortunately for the Reds faithful they still look weak at the back.

Loris Karius will start in goal again, but the German never fills those around him with much confidence. I still think Klopp needs to find a better goalkeeper if they want to seriously challenge for top honours.

Hopefully Dejan Lovern will return to the backline because the Croat is a better bet than Ragnar Klavan.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Philippe Coutinho in the match day squad for this one, probably on the bench to begin with. The Brazilian could have an instant impact on things if his head is in the right place.

Although Liverpool believe that they belong in this elite tournament, it should be noted that they have only reached the group stages on two occasions in the last eight seasons.

So will they might struggle to get used to the high intensity and excitement the Champions League begins? That’s where Jurgen Klopp will come into his own and use his experience to make sure the squad doesn’t lose any focus.

Sevilla have a  fine European pedigree. The Spanish side have won the Europa League/UEFA Cup five times since 2006!

That said Los Rojiblancos did struggle to qualify this time around as they only just edged out Turkish outfit  Istanbul Basaksehir 4-3 on aggregate.

The Spaniards have yet to lose in La Liga so far in this campaign.

Former Stoke City man Steven N’Zonzi dictates things for Sevilla in midfield. The accurate passer can also conjure up a goal or two from deep positions.

Brazilian Ganso could have been a world beater and was a star in the same Santos side that Neymar played in. Unfortunately for Ganso injuries have plagued his career. The attacking midfielder has played in each of the Spanish league fixtures and has scored in his last two outings.

Sevilla also have creative force Nolito on their books now. The former Man City may feel he has a thing or two to prove on English soil.

It is an extremely tough fixture for Liverpool, especially after their heavy defeat on Saturday, but it’s an encounter that they should relish and one that they can win.

If they have aspirations to do well in Europe this season and to bounce back from that loss to Man City then a victory over Sevilla is a great way to start!

Posted on September 13th, 2017 by scott
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