Reina
Johnson Carragher Agger Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Aurelio
Ngog
Goals:
Ngog 4’
Hey, it’s a win! And it doesn’t matter one bit! Luck still laughs at the club, even though their exit from the Champions League is their own fault, down to two goals conceded in injury time to Lyon. Had Liverpool held on to the draw at Anfield and the win in France, they’d be through to the group stages now.
Today saw 30 very good minutes, including an early Ngog goal (his fifth in 11 games), 30 mediocre minutes, and then 30 dire minutes, where Debrecen almost equalized with the last kick of the game. I hate this season so much, and I’m sure saying that will find a way to make it somehow worse.
It didn’t take long for Liverpool to find its way past a flat-footed Debrecen. Pushing forward from the opening whistle and having won an early corner, Carragher met Aurelio’s ball in at the back post, and Ngog was able to redirect past Poleksic. Just what Liverpool needed, and they’d assuredly build upon it. Or not. I don't know why I've any optimism left.
On the whole, Liverpool were more patient after the opener, which is sure to annoy given how the team needs a confidence boost. The team clearly expected Debrecen to come out of their shell when a goal behind, but no such luck. 10 men in white remained camped in their own half hoping to hit on the counter, and like against lower-league sides at Anfield (before this season, mind you), Liverpool had to find its way past a parked bus.
The strange thing is that all off Liverpool’s early chances came from set plays. And most of them were short corners or free kicks to get the defense moving, which we don't often see. The two best opportunities following Ngog’s goal fell to Kuyt from Gerrard and Aurelio crosses in the 11th and 16th; the Dutchman just missed contact with the first and was embarrassingly wrong-footed by the second when the ball made its way through the box only to nutmeg him for a goal kick.
It seemed fairly clear that the Liverpool players understood the 30th minute PA announcement of Fiorentina’s goal. Maybe the home side simply grew in confidence having not conceded a second and limited Liverpool’s opportunities when they were finally able to string two passes together. But it looked more likely that Liverpool grew a bit disillusioned and took the foot off the gas.
Rudolf, a lone striker with top scorer Coulibaly on the bench, had a couple of chances, making poor contact with a free header between Johnson and Carragher and mishitting a shot from that top of the box which Carra blocked. But even considering Liverpool’s oft-noted defensive liabilities, the home side rarely looked like scoring. Liverpool continued to have the best chances for a second, with Debrecen’s keeper twice saving Ngog shots, including a lovely snapped effort in the 38th.
The first fifteen minutes of the second half played out similarly, with no one able to reach Johnson's dangerous cross in the 54th, a defender sliding in to block Gerrard’s shot in the 58th, and an excellent Poleksic save on Gerrard’s placed strike a minute later. Lucas’s header wide in the 63rd, in a similar position to his miss on Saturday, marked another turning point in the match as Debrecen actually started to turn the screws. I doubt the home side had ten minutes of possession in Liverpool’s half prior to the hour mark.
Coulibaly’s entrance in the 62nd certainly helped matters, and it’s Debrecen’s manager’s fault for playing conservatively. Maybe he hasn’t seen much of Liverpool recently. But when the team’s top scorer came on, and Rudolf was given license to drop deeper to set up play, the tide turned.
Rudolf almost put Coulibaly through in the 68th, only to mishit the pass, before Mascherano had to make a last ditch tackle to keep the Hungarian out. Then, Coulibaly nearly beat the offside trap twice before his shot from an impossible angle forced Reina to save when he was expecting the cross. Capping off the evening was more abysmal late defending, allowing a long ball to bounce and cause panic in the penalty area, but Coulibaly could only weakly side-foot at Reina from less than 10 yards out. Now that would have summed up this season.
It’s moot now, seeing as Liverpool’s out despite accomplishing what they needed to today, but I was also baffled by Benitez’s substitutions, or lack thereof. Liverpool was dying for a change by the hour mark, but the first sub came on in the 77th, and it was Benayoun for Ngog, which says it all. It's always infuriating when Liverpool tries to strangle the life out of the game when only a goal to good, especially with how many dumb goals this team's conceded. To be fair, with Fiorentina winning, a win or a draw doesn't matter, and the team's stretched fairly thin as it is with yet another big game on Saturday. But it's still no fun to watch.
I’ll be honest – I thought Kuyt was dire today, which is a rarity even for me, so I was baffled when a striker who’d scored the lone goal was taken off for a creative midfielder. Dossena, making his third appearance of the season, came on for Aurelio in the 89th before Aquilani finally arrived in the second minute of injury time. Clearly, both subs were to waste time, but bringing on Aquilani that late – after Dossena no less – seems almost insulting. He’d better start against Everton, or there’s something we haven’t been told about his fitness or adaptation to England.
Had Lyon done the job in Italy – and to be fair, it wasn’t in their interests to; every club would like to see Liverpool out of the competition, no matter how insipid they’ve been of late – this performance would have sufficed, and could have been something to build on. By the end, it was annoyingly tame, but hey, at least another late goal wasn’t conceded.
Ngog played well, again scoring in place of Torres. Mascherano had a second successive "Mascherano game," finally looking up to speed and winning a fair few crucial tackles. The defense didn’t have any egregious mistakes. And Gerrard was far more mobile than against City. Yes, I’m well aware I’m stretching for positives. Liverpool scored two goals in two matches against a side that the other two clubs in the group scored 12 in three against. It's little wonder the team's out of the competition.
Liverpool dug its own grave before this match and paid the price. There’s little the club can do but keep trying to move forward. A derby match this weekend should go some way toward raising the adrenaline levels.
I guess, as Carragher said earlier today, Liverpool will just have to go and win the Europa League. And we’ll have to hope it doesn’t wreck the club’s finances.
Showing posts with label Debrecen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Debrecen. Show all posts
24 November 2009
23 November 2009
Liverpool at Debrecen 11.24.09
2:45pm, live in the US on Setanta
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 2-2 City (h); 2-2 Brum (h); 1-1 Lyon (a)
Debrecen: 2-1 Honved (a); 1-0 Kecskemeti (h); 0-1 Gyor (a)
Group Stage:
Liverpool: 1-1 Lyon (a); 1-2 Lyon (h); 0-2 Fiorentina (a); 1-0 Debrecen (h)
Debrecen: 2-5 Fiorentina (a); 3-4 Fiorentina (h); 0-4 Lyon (h); 0-1 Liverpool (a)
Goalscorers (CL):
Liverpool: Babel, Benayoun, Kuyt 1
Debrecen: Coulibaly, Rudolf 2; Czvitkovics 1
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (NED)
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Carragher Insua
Mascherano Aquilani
Kuyt Gerrard Aurelio
Ngog
Not only does Liverpool need to win tomorrow, but Lyon has to get a result against Fiorentina at home. A Viola win means Liverpool’s in the Europa League at best. A draw means Liverpool’d need to top Fiorentina by a better margin than they lost the reverse fixture (0-2). And a Lyon win, which every Liverpool fan should be hoping for, means there’ll be all to play for on December 9.
Of course, all this is contingent on Liverpool winning tomorrow. Which the team hasn’t done since beating United a month ago. One win in 10 games is no way to go through life, son. That I spent the opening paragraph of this preview describing another team’s fixture is an apt description of this season. It’s not even December and it’s out of Liverpool’s hands. Sigh.
Given Liverpool’s form, a win is no sure thing, no matter the opposition. Debrecen’s lost all four group games, but scored five in the last two matches against Fiorentina, which isn’t heartening with Liverpool’s recent shenanigans in defense. And without Torres – still suffering with that hernia injury – will Liverpool actually score? Babel, Riera, Kelly, and Voronin also haven’t made the trip, but both Johnson and Agger should be available.
I’m tempted to suggest a line-up similar to the big wins over Burnley and Stoke a few months back – a line-up without two defensive midfielders. Yes, it’s an away match, in a country where Liverpool’s never won (three draws and a loss; last match was 1974), but the temptation to loosen the reins as much as possible persists.
Yet I’ve gone with Aquilani and Mascherano as the central midfielders instead of Lucas/Aquilani (the more attacking version) or Lucas/Masch. Who knows if Aquilani will start; he’s been restricted to two cameo appearances, but we’re getting the point where he has to play. I’d rather he start tomorrow than debut against Everton in the derby, which will be a much tougher match. I’m guessing Mascherano to partner him because of Masch’s defensive talents, given Aquilani’s limited playing time and fitness levels. Just in case. That’s what Masch is there for.
We’ll find out tomorrow how much the horse placenta helped Benayoun and Aurelio. I’m guessing Fabio because Benayoun played more than expected on Saturday and will be needed against Everton as well. If he’s fitter than I suspect, he may start, but I reckon the safer and more likely option is Aurelio. Yes, Aurelio’s ostensibly a defender, but we saw on Saturday how his entrance helped the team in the opposition’s half.
I really hope both Johnson and Agger are fit enough to feature. I’m guessing Gleninho as a last resort – Kelly’s still out and Degen’s not in the CL squad – while I’m less convinced about Agger’s availability. If he just took stitches, he may be able to play with his head wrapped. But if he suffered a concussion as well, there’s little chance of him starting. Skrtel had a hand in both goals Liverpool conceded against City, but the Slovakian didn’t play badly, and should be boosted by his first goal.
The reverse fixture at Anfield demonstrated that this will be no walk in the park. With a far stronger side than should be available tomorrow, Liverpool found it hard to break the Hungarians down, while Coulibaly threatened on the counter. And the Hungarians can attack; Debrecen racked up goals in their two games against Fiorentina, scoring more in those matches than Liverpool has in the entire CL campaign.
They don’t come much more massive than this: one game to keep qualification hopes alive, a game that’s probably worth a few million quid in the greater scheme of things; a few million quid that the owners dearly need. And then there’s the derby on Saturday. But Liverpool’s been backed against the wall in the Champions League before – remember needing three goals in a half to beat Olympiakos? Let’s see what we know this team’s possible of before it’s too late.
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 2-2 City (h); 2-2 Brum (h); 1-1 Lyon (a)
Debrecen: 2-1 Honved (a); 1-0 Kecskemeti (h); 0-1 Gyor (a)
Group Stage:
Liverpool: 1-1 Lyon (a); 1-2 Lyon (h); 0-2 Fiorentina (a); 1-0 Debrecen (h)
Debrecen: 2-5 Fiorentina (a); 3-4 Fiorentina (h); 0-4 Lyon (h); 0-1 Liverpool (a)
Goalscorers (CL):
Liverpool: Babel, Benayoun, Kuyt 1
Debrecen: Coulibaly, Rudolf 2; Czvitkovics 1
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (NED)
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Carragher Insua
Mascherano Aquilani
Kuyt Gerrard Aurelio
Ngog
Not only does Liverpool need to win tomorrow, but Lyon has to get a result against Fiorentina at home. A Viola win means Liverpool’s in the Europa League at best. A draw means Liverpool’d need to top Fiorentina by a better margin than they lost the reverse fixture (0-2). And a Lyon win, which every Liverpool fan should be hoping for, means there’ll be all to play for on December 9.
Of course, all this is contingent on Liverpool winning tomorrow. Which the team hasn’t done since beating United a month ago. One win in 10 games is no way to go through life, son. That I spent the opening paragraph of this preview describing another team’s fixture is an apt description of this season. It’s not even December and it’s out of Liverpool’s hands. Sigh.
Given Liverpool’s form, a win is no sure thing, no matter the opposition. Debrecen’s lost all four group games, but scored five in the last two matches against Fiorentina, which isn’t heartening with Liverpool’s recent shenanigans in defense. And without Torres – still suffering with that hernia injury – will Liverpool actually score? Babel, Riera, Kelly, and Voronin also haven’t made the trip, but both Johnson and Agger should be available.
I’m tempted to suggest a line-up similar to the big wins over Burnley and Stoke a few months back – a line-up without two defensive midfielders. Yes, it’s an away match, in a country where Liverpool’s never won (three draws and a loss; last match was 1974), but the temptation to loosen the reins as much as possible persists.
Yet I’ve gone with Aquilani and Mascherano as the central midfielders instead of Lucas/Aquilani (the more attacking version) or Lucas/Masch. Who knows if Aquilani will start; he’s been restricted to two cameo appearances, but we’re getting the point where he has to play. I’d rather he start tomorrow than debut against Everton in the derby, which will be a much tougher match. I’m guessing Mascherano to partner him because of Masch’s defensive talents, given Aquilani’s limited playing time and fitness levels. Just in case. That’s what Masch is there for.
We’ll find out tomorrow how much the horse placenta helped Benayoun and Aurelio. I’m guessing Fabio because Benayoun played more than expected on Saturday and will be needed against Everton as well. If he’s fitter than I suspect, he may start, but I reckon the safer and more likely option is Aurelio. Yes, Aurelio’s ostensibly a defender, but we saw on Saturday how his entrance helped the team in the opposition’s half.
I really hope both Johnson and Agger are fit enough to feature. I’m guessing Gleninho as a last resort – Kelly’s still out and Degen’s not in the CL squad – while I’m less convinced about Agger’s availability. If he just took stitches, he may be able to play with his head wrapped. But if he suffered a concussion as well, there’s little chance of him starting. Skrtel had a hand in both goals Liverpool conceded against City, but the Slovakian didn’t play badly, and should be boosted by his first goal.
The reverse fixture at Anfield demonstrated that this will be no walk in the park. With a far stronger side than should be available tomorrow, Liverpool found it hard to break the Hungarians down, while Coulibaly threatened on the counter. And the Hungarians can attack; Debrecen racked up goals in their two games against Fiorentina, scoring more in those matches than Liverpool has in the entire CL campaign.
They don’t come much more massive than this: one game to keep qualification hopes alive, a game that’s probably worth a few million quid in the greater scheme of things; a few million quid that the owners dearly need. And then there’s the derby on Saturday. But Liverpool’s been backed against the wall in the Champions League before – remember needing three goals in a half to beat Olympiakos? Let’s see what we know this team’s possible of before it’s too late.
16 September 2009
Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Carragher Insua
Gerrard Lucas
Benayoun Kuyt Riera
Torres
Goals:
Kuyt 45+1’
Well, they can’t all be 4-0, can they?
That wasn’t good enough by any stretch and yet it was. The performance left a lot to be desired, but three points are all you can ask for.
It was the same line-up as against Burnley, but Liverpool found it a lot harder to break through. A slow start, with 10 determined Debrecen defenders behind the ball, led to Liverpool forcing the play. Too many giveaways and sloppy passes gave the visitors confidence, and they increasingly grew into the game as they kept the home side at bay.
And in the 30th minute, Debrecen got the first shot on target for either side, with Czvitkovics forcing Reina into a smart save after Skrtel cleared the ball right to him. The next six or so minutes saw some sustained Debrecen pressure, although with few efforts. But the warning finally prompted some decent play from Liverpool.
Riera was the catalyst, although he probably should have taken one of his chances. Gerrard and Carragher found the winger with throughballs in the 34th and 38th, with the first shot wide of the far post and the second saved by Debrecen’s keeper, with Kuyt’s prodded rebound cleared off the line. Riera had another shot from distance parried before providing a cutback for Gerrard, who could only place his shot inches wide. Finally, it only seemed a matter of time.
And thankfully it was, with Kuyt scoring the crucial goal seconds before halftime. Benayoun played it through to Torres, who turned and fired. Again, Poleskic could only parry and Kuyt got there first, sliding in ahead of the otherwise-solid Meszoras.
One would hope that’d be the dambreaker, and Liverpool would come out guns blazing in the second half. No such luck. The team was still sloppy and Debrecen was still solid. Liverpool had the ball and the chances – a couple of Gerrard shots narrowly over and a Lucas free header wide among others – but broke down in the final third too often, couldn’t add to the lead, and could have paid the price for it.
No offense meant, but Liverpool’s fortunate that the opposition didn’t have the firepower to punish them. The home side may have had two-thirds of the possession and far more shots, but we’ve seen them penalized for not extending a one-goal lead before, and they’re lucky it didn’t happen today. Coulibaly had chances in the 78th and 82nd, but couldn’t loop it over Reina or round Skrtel respectively, both times going to ground too easily.
Benitez probably waited too long to make substitutions – Babel’s entrance in the 80th definitely helped matters, as he was the impetus behind Liverpool’s two best late chances, before Mascherano and Aurelio came on for Benayoun and Kuyt. In the 83rd, Babel’s pace started the move that ended with Benayoun shooting over, and in the 89th, he showed some lovely ball control before his shot was deflected wide. I’m still a bit puzzled that changes weren’t made earlier even though play was sloppy and players looked tired.
Kuyt was probably the only one I’d classify as “good” today – he consistently got into clever positions in the ‘Gerrard’ role and scored the winner, his 19th in Europe – although Lucas, Benayoun, and Riera had their moments. But, unlike against Burnley, Gerrard didn’t impress sitting deep. It would have helped if he’d remembered his shooting boots, struggling to get shots on target (and he had chances), but the captain was less effective in all regards. And once again, Torres had trouble making any impact.
Credit to Liverpool that they can play so unconvincingly and still win. But displays like today’s won’t suffice in too many matches.
Johnson Skrtel Carragher Insua
Gerrard Lucas
Benayoun Kuyt Riera
Torres
Goals:
Kuyt 45+1’
Well, they can’t all be 4-0, can they?
That wasn’t good enough by any stretch and yet it was. The performance left a lot to be desired, but three points are all you can ask for.
It was the same line-up as against Burnley, but Liverpool found it a lot harder to break through. A slow start, with 10 determined Debrecen defenders behind the ball, led to Liverpool forcing the play. Too many giveaways and sloppy passes gave the visitors confidence, and they increasingly grew into the game as they kept the home side at bay.
And in the 30th minute, Debrecen got the first shot on target for either side, with Czvitkovics forcing Reina into a smart save after Skrtel cleared the ball right to him. The next six or so minutes saw some sustained Debrecen pressure, although with few efforts. But the warning finally prompted some decent play from Liverpool.
Riera was the catalyst, although he probably should have taken one of his chances. Gerrard and Carragher found the winger with throughballs in the 34th and 38th, with the first shot wide of the far post and the second saved by Debrecen’s keeper, with Kuyt’s prodded rebound cleared off the line. Riera had another shot from distance parried before providing a cutback for Gerrard, who could only place his shot inches wide. Finally, it only seemed a matter of time.
And thankfully it was, with Kuyt scoring the crucial goal seconds before halftime. Benayoun played it through to Torres, who turned and fired. Again, Poleskic could only parry and Kuyt got there first, sliding in ahead of the otherwise-solid Meszoras.
One would hope that’d be the dambreaker, and Liverpool would come out guns blazing in the second half. No such luck. The team was still sloppy and Debrecen was still solid. Liverpool had the ball and the chances – a couple of Gerrard shots narrowly over and a Lucas free header wide among others – but broke down in the final third too often, couldn’t add to the lead, and could have paid the price for it.
No offense meant, but Liverpool’s fortunate that the opposition didn’t have the firepower to punish them. The home side may have had two-thirds of the possession and far more shots, but we’ve seen them penalized for not extending a one-goal lead before, and they’re lucky it didn’t happen today. Coulibaly had chances in the 78th and 82nd, but couldn’t loop it over Reina or round Skrtel respectively, both times going to ground too easily.
Benitez probably waited too long to make substitutions – Babel’s entrance in the 80th definitely helped matters, as he was the impetus behind Liverpool’s two best late chances, before Mascherano and Aurelio came on for Benayoun and Kuyt. In the 83rd, Babel’s pace started the move that ended with Benayoun shooting over, and in the 89th, he showed some lovely ball control before his shot was deflected wide. I’m still a bit puzzled that changes weren’t made earlier even though play was sloppy and players looked tired.
Kuyt was probably the only one I’d classify as “good” today – he consistently got into clever positions in the ‘Gerrard’ role and scored the winner, his 19th in Europe – although Lucas, Benayoun, and Riera had their moments. But, unlike against Burnley, Gerrard didn’t impress sitting deep. It would have helped if he’d remembered his shooting boots, struggling to get shots on target (and he had chances), but the captain was less effective in all regards. And once again, Torres had trouble making any impact.
Credit to Liverpool that they can play so unconvincingly and still win. But displays like today’s won’t suffice in too many matches.
15 September 2009
Liverpool v Debrecen 09.16.09
2:45pm, live in the US on FSC. Also, if you have DirecTV (which I couldn’t recommend more), you can get all the Champions League games on channels 461-469. And supposedly, most if not all will be in HD, but I’ll believe that when I see all the glorious pixels. (Update: So if it's on another channel, DirecTV doesn't have it in HD. So close, yet so far.)
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 4-0 Burnley (h); 3-2 Bolton (a); 1-3 Villa (h)
Debrecen: 1-0 Paksi (a); 3-1 Nyíregyháza Spartacus (h); 2-0 Levski Sofia (h)
Referee: Pedro Proenca (POR)
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Dossena
Gerrard Lucas
Benayoun Kuyt Riera
Torres
With a midweek game following an international break, and a trip to West Ham on Saturday, there are bound to be some changes, no matter how well Liverpool played last time out. The question is how many changes.
The only one I’ve guessed above is Dossena for Insua. I would have picked Aurelio, but he didn’t make the bench for Burnley, which doesn’t bode well for his availability. But I could also see others being rested – Kyrgiakos for Skrtel, for example, or even Torres getting a game off.
I think it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the best from #9 yet this season. And he still has three goals to his name. I could easily see him starting on the bench, protected for Saturday but available if need be. Maybe the rest would kick-start his season and give him added motivation. But I assume, given it’s Fernando Torres we’re talking about, that he’ll start. It’s Torres.
Supposedly, Mascherano is in contention; according to Benitez, only El Zhar and Aquilani are ruled out. But I still don’t know if that means he’ll play. One, I worry about niggling injuries picked up on international duty – it’s happened before. Two, like against Burnley – and no disrespect to Debrecen – I don’t know if Liverpool will need Masch’s defensive capabilities. I’d rather him get fully fit for West Ham and see Lucas and Gerrard have another go from central midfield.
I wish I could tell you more about Debreceni VSC. I know they’re Hungarian, I know they won the Hungarian league, and they surprisingly beat Levski Sofia in the final qualifying round. Even after looking at their squad, I couldn’t single out any of their players. I don’t think that’s happened in 3+ years of writing this blog. In lieu of being any help at all, I’ll link to RAWK’s Spion Kop with Debrecen fans, which was an interesting read.
Regardless of the opposition, I’d like to remind that there are no easy Champions League games, which is why I’ve guessed a fairly strong squad. The Hungarians will assuredly be up for their first game in the Champions League proper, and Liverpool need a win – both for morale purposes after the iffy start to the league and to begin the European campaign on the right foot. Win, then worry about fitness.
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 4-0 Burnley (h); 3-2 Bolton (a); 1-3 Villa (h)
Debrecen: 1-0 Paksi (a); 3-1 Nyíregyháza Spartacus (h); 2-0 Levski Sofia (h)
Referee: Pedro Proenca (POR)
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Dossena
Gerrard Lucas
Benayoun Kuyt Riera
Torres
With a midweek game following an international break, and a trip to West Ham on Saturday, there are bound to be some changes, no matter how well Liverpool played last time out. The question is how many changes.
The only one I’ve guessed above is Dossena for Insua. I would have picked Aurelio, but he didn’t make the bench for Burnley, which doesn’t bode well for his availability. But I could also see others being rested – Kyrgiakos for Skrtel, for example, or even Torres getting a game off.
I think it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the best from #9 yet this season. And he still has three goals to his name. I could easily see him starting on the bench, protected for Saturday but available if need be. Maybe the rest would kick-start his season and give him added motivation. But I assume, given it’s Fernando Torres we’re talking about, that he’ll start. It’s Torres.
Supposedly, Mascherano is in contention; according to Benitez, only El Zhar and Aquilani are ruled out. But I still don’t know if that means he’ll play. One, I worry about niggling injuries picked up on international duty – it’s happened before. Two, like against Burnley – and no disrespect to Debrecen – I don’t know if Liverpool will need Masch’s defensive capabilities. I’d rather him get fully fit for West Ham and see Lucas and Gerrard have another go from central midfield.
I wish I could tell you more about Debreceni VSC. I know they’re Hungarian, I know they won the Hungarian league, and they surprisingly beat Levski Sofia in the final qualifying round. Even after looking at their squad, I couldn’t single out any of their players. I don’t think that’s happened in 3+ years of writing this blog. In lieu of being any help at all, I’ll link to RAWK’s Spion Kop with Debrecen fans, which was an interesting read.
Regardless of the opposition, I’d like to remind that there are no easy Champions League games, which is why I’ve guessed a fairly strong squad. The Hungarians will assuredly be up for their first game in the Champions League proper, and Liverpool need a win – both for morale purposes after the iffy start to the league and to begin the European campaign on the right foot. Win, then worry about fitness.
27 August 2009
Champions League Group Stage Draw
Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debrenci VSC
Group E awaits. Not the easiest group (Groups G or H), but it’s not Groups A, C, or F either. Neither Lyon nor Fiorentina will be easy matches, but they’ll be interesting pairings against prestigious teams, while Debrecen’s a completely unknown quantity. But days out in Lyon, Florence, and Budapest (I'm pretty sure that's where Debrecen's CL games will be played) are mouthwatering; I’m incredibly jealous of the traveling Kop this year.
I saw both of Fiorentina’s qualifying games, and they were honestly lucky to go through against Sporting. Mutu and Gilardino are excellent strikers, but they’re definitely beatable. Lyon hammered Anderlecht in the last round, but have lost Benzema and were knocked off the top of Ligue 1 for the first time in a dog’s age last season. However, Lisandro Lopez, Bastos, and Gomis are all dangerous players; Lyon are definitely one of the stronger teams out of Pot 2. Debrecen are Hungarian champions, but this is the first time the Hungarian champions have made the group stage in 14 years.
Barca v Inter is the tastiest tie on paper, while Group A is probably the toughest top to bottom. Also, I’d like to delight in Manchester’s trips to Moscow and Istanbul; hopefully one of them will come right before the 10/25 match at Anfield. Plus, the reigning German champions as the fourth seed. The Mancs look likely to win all their home matches, but won’t have one easy away game. Arsenal should walk their group though, while Rangers will never have a better chance to make it to the knockout rounds.
The first group stage game will be September 15 or 16.
Draw in full:
Group A:
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa
Group B:
Manchester Utd
CSKA Moscow
Besiktas
Wolfsburg
Group C:
AC Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
FC Zurich
Group D:
Chelsea
Porto
Atletico Madrid
APOEL
Group E:
Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debreceni VSC
Group F:
Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dynamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan
Group G:
Sevilla
Rangers
Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni
Group H:
Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiakos
Standard Liege
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debrenci VSC
Group E awaits. Not the easiest group (Groups G or H), but it’s not Groups A, C, or F either. Neither Lyon nor Fiorentina will be easy matches, but they’ll be interesting pairings against prestigious teams, while Debrecen’s a completely unknown quantity. But days out in Lyon, Florence, and Budapest (I'm pretty sure that's where Debrecen's CL games will be played) are mouthwatering; I’m incredibly jealous of the traveling Kop this year.
I saw both of Fiorentina’s qualifying games, and they were honestly lucky to go through against Sporting. Mutu and Gilardino are excellent strikers, but they’re definitely beatable. Lyon hammered Anderlecht in the last round, but have lost Benzema and were knocked off the top of Ligue 1 for the first time in a dog’s age last season. However, Lisandro Lopez, Bastos, and Gomis are all dangerous players; Lyon are definitely one of the stronger teams out of Pot 2. Debrecen are Hungarian champions, but this is the first time the Hungarian champions have made the group stage in 14 years.
Barca v Inter is the tastiest tie on paper, while Group A is probably the toughest top to bottom. Also, I’d like to delight in Manchester’s trips to Moscow and Istanbul; hopefully one of them will come right before the 10/25 match at Anfield. Plus, the reigning German champions as the fourth seed. The Mancs look likely to win all their home matches, but won’t have one easy away game. Arsenal should walk their group though, while Rangers will never have a better chance to make it to the knockout rounds.
The first group stage game will be September 15 or 16.
Draw in full:
Group A:
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa
Group B:
Manchester Utd
CSKA Moscow
Besiktas
Wolfsburg
Group C:
AC Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
FC Zurich
Group D:
Chelsea
Porto
Atletico Madrid
APOEL
Group E:
Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debreceni VSC
Group F:
Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dynamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan
Group G:
Sevilla
Rangers
Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni
Group H:
Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiakos
Standard Liege
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