Basel Are Conquerable If Brendan Rodgers Gets Liverpool's Midfield Makeup Right

Liverpool's UEFA Champions League adventure continues in Basel on Wednesday evening, and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping for a slightly smoother ride than the one Ludogorets gave them in Gameweek 1.

Basel have provided stern opposition to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in recent seasons, though without Valentin Stocker and Mohamed Salah, they're now at a lower level and it represents the ideal time to play them.

Basel Setup

Basel's first game against Real Madrid wasn't exactly the most helpful indicator of how strong they are, as Los Blancos crushed them 5-1 in an almighty display.

@stighefootball

Paulo Sousa, former Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers manager, is in charge over there now, as Murat Yakin opted for a move to Russia with Spartak Moscow this summer. Sousa is continuing to use the strong passing foundations Yakin built, and his side possess the ability to switch between 4-5-1 and 3-4-3 with ease.

Marcelo Diaz is still suspended and Ivan Ivanov is injured, but the Basel squad is deep and has more than enough to make up for the losses.

Liverpool Setup

Brendan Rodgers has two players unavailable for selection in the form of Mamadou Sakho and Daniel Sturridge, per The Guardian. Rumours have been swirling following the former's storm-out last weekend, but the Liverpool boss insists it's a physical ailment.

Alberto Moreno could be rested for Jose Enrique if the shapes and exercises in training are anything to go by, but beyond that it appears another 4-2-3-1 is in the offing with Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson at the base.

@stighefootball

A tussle has emerged for places in the attacking midfield zone, and one of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic will miss out as Raheem Sterling is guaranteed a spot.

Mario Balotelli will be looking to make it two in two in the UEFA Champions League.

Key Point 1: Liverpool's Ailing Midfield

Henderson and Gerrard will start at the base of a 4-2-3-1, but that system has by no means been effective so far this season and, admittedly, has its holes.

Ru.tv

Gerrard at the base of a diamond is often targeted by opposing teams and nullified, harming Liverpool's buildup play, so in some ways Henderson joining him as a second outlet is necessary. But neither play their best football in a "two"—first and foremost it restricts Henderson's athletic ability—and neither can be trusted to track runners for 90 minutes. The same can be said for Joe Allen.

Basel will play possession football if possible but will also gladly revert to a more direct strategy if the holes are there to be taken advantage of. They lost Stocker, a fantastic channel-runner, this summer, but Luca Zuffi is playing well in his place.

Key Point 2: Lifting the Onus Off the Full-Backs

Against Ludogorets, Alberto Moreno was Liverpool's best player on the pitch and Javi Manquillo was a close second. That's your left-back and your right-back as your star performers—something, somewhere, is going wrong.

We've discussed the Reds' defensive midfield and now it's time to examine the attack: Adam Lallana is in-form and should start, but beyond him there's not a lot going right.

Sterling from the left isn't maximising his full potential—not even close, in fact—and Lazar Markovic has struggled for form early on. He re-enters the Champions League picture after serving a suspension that dates back to Benfica, but perhaps Philippe Coutinho is a better bet here.

All in all, the full-backs can't be burdened again—especially if Enrique comes in for Moreno. Lallana needs to continue driving forward, Coutinho needs to shake his markers to find space and Sterling needs a more consistently central role.

Follow @stighefootball

If you read and appreciate my work, I'd be grateful if you voted for me in the best established football writer in the 2014 Football Blogging Awards here: http://bit.ly/1qTsc5S