The Europa League will always be the Champions League strange little brother, but there’s no question that clubs will be paying the second tier competition a lot more heed with UEFA throwing in a twist and upping the stakes for the winner. Liverpool, in particular, won’t be looking at it as a nuisance any more — well, not as much anyway.
The Reds are playing catch up in the Premier League table following their slow start to the season with qualification for Europe’s most prestigious cup competition anything but a forgone conclusion. A trophy and securing Champions League football for the second year in a row has always been the aim for the season and in the Europa League they have the strange opportunity to bag both at the same time. It’s a long road to Warsaw though and it’ll be paved with clubs that are thinking the exact same way — starting, of course, with Turkish side Besiktas.
The Istanbul outfit visit Anfield tomorrow as the Round of 32 kicks off and they’ll be carrying a substantial chip on their shoulder when they roll into town. The last time they visited the banks of the Mersey some seven years ago, their supporters watched on in horror as Rafa Benitez’s side knocked eight unanswered goals past them. One doesn’t easily forget a scoreline like that and you’d do well to find a fan in the away section that isn’t hoping for some measure of revenge.
Coming off a dramatic win over Buraspor at the weekend, they’re looking good for it as well. Former Chelsea man Demba Ba scored a brace — including a last gasp free-kick to seal the points — as Besiktas secured a one point lead at the top of the Turkish Super League to keep their good run of form going. Domestically, they’re unbeaten in their last 12-matches, though they do have some injury concerns with ‘keeper Tolga Zengin sidelined with a knee problem and defenders Ismail Koybasi and Alexander Milosevic both ruled out through injuries of their own. Regardless, there’s no question they’ll be a tough nut to crack; Croatian manager Slaven Bilic navigated the Group Stages of this competition without a single defeat, downing the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Partizan Belgrade in the process and he won’t want to do anything but the same against Liverpool.
That’ll be easier said than done though; the Reds are coming off a come from behind win in the FA Cup at the weekend where Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana snagged a pair of second half goals to send them through to the quarter-finals. Much like Besiktas, they’re on a good run of form without a defeat in the Premier League since the middle of December, but they have some injury problems to contend with as well. Raheem Sterling will be a late decision with a foot problem while captain Steven Gerrard and influential midfielder Lucas are both sidelined. A trip to Southampton at the weekend could prompt boss Brendan Rodgers to give his pack a shuffle with Dejan Lovren, Jordon Ibe and Jose Enrique tipped to come in to the starting eleven.
And then again you may not see the Northern Irishman make any changes at all. While the romantic in me would love to see Gerrard run out at Wembley in the final of the FA Cup in what would not only be his birthday, but his last match for the club as well, I’d be just as happy seeing the club qualify for the Champions League next year and have the skipper lift the Europa League trophy instead. Considering how tight the race is for fourth place, you may see Rodgers approach this competition with a renewed focus. It may still be second tier, off-brand European football, but if it leads us back to the promised land, then it’s worth giving it a go.
–Steven
