All Eyes On Marseille

Liverpool face Marseille On Tuesday From here on in, all eyes are on Marseilles this Tuesday (tomorrow). Liverpool lost to Reading 3-1, Marseille beat Monaco 2-0 on Saturday so confidences may be mixed. Determination will be most high, however. The pressure is firmly on Liverpool and the Marseille team have been warned already that the Reds will be “far tougher proposition” according to The Times.

It breaks down like this - Liverpool need to win to ensure that they qualify for the knockout stages and avoid heading to the UEFA Cup. Failing a win, Liverpool can still qualify with a draw - only providing Besiktas beat Porto. If Porto beat Besiktas and the game ends in a draw, Marseille go through, likewise should Marseille beat Liverpool then it’s curtains for the Reds.

We’re all expecting Liverpool to go through - two Champions League finals in three years isn’t bad going. Financially, Liverpool need the knockout stages. More prize money, more TV money, all means more transfer money and ultimate expansion and further development of the squad. Sure enough, the UEFA Cup would bring European TV royalties into play, but why settle for second best? The UEFA Cup too would likely mean that we’ll be playing football on a Thursday, thus stretching Liverpool’s weekend games out to Sunday for the most part.

Losing at Marseille early in the campaign was one thing, compounding that with a loss at Besiktas was another thing, but the team have pulled themselves together. Twelve goals in two games is testament to that.

Domestically, Liverpool are pushing for honours, but the defeat at Reading couldn’t have come at a worse time. It is a game that will be erased from memory rather quickly, but a loss is a loss. Marseille are floating in the mid table area in Ligue 1 (13th at present) but are confident that they’ll be able to do the business again, taking too the home advantage.

While the likes of Rangers, Lyon, Real Madrid, Lazio and more still have to qualify, and run the risk of being knocked out at this stage, all eyes will firmly be fixed on the Marseille clash. You’re talking about Liverpool’s recent record in the Champions League, developments in the background at the club, the future of Rafa Benitez at the club, and the impact the game has not only in Europe, but in the league too. We’ve United at the weekend, Chelsea only a few days later in the League Cup.

A loss in Europe leaves us out of one major trophy, losing points to United puts another dent in our league title hopes, while losing to Chelsea would eliminate yet another piece of silverware this season. A win, however, would lift spirits and confidence at Anfield to a new high and add a massive morale boost ahead of two of the toughest domestic fixtures in the season.

We get through Tuesday, things settle down until February and we can concentrate on the league campaign.

For now, it’s all eyes on Marseille.

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