Liverpool vs. FC Basel: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
It’s win or bust for Liverpool in their final game of this season’s Champions League group stages. The Reds face FC Basel at Anfield knowing only a win will be good enough to see them progress to the knockout phase of this year’s tournament; by contrast, the visitors only need a point to qualify at the expense of the Merseyside club.
With plenty at stake, a special night is surely in store at Anfield, where the colourful Kop conjures up an incomparably raucous atmosphere. Given Liverpool’s recent patchy form, the supporters could play a major role in this clash, hauling their heroes over the line and into the last 16 of European football’s elite competition.
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Either way, this match—which is effectively a knockout tie—is not one to be missed. Here’s all the information you need on where to catch the contest, and a look at the fortunes of both sides on the cusp of this massive occasion.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 9
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/ 2:45 ET
Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), Fox Sports Go (U.S.)
TV Info: ITV (UK), Fox Sports 1 USA (U.S.)
All Or Nothing For Liverpool
Basel have been in fine form on the cusp of this showdown and picked up their fifth consecutive league win with a 4-0 victory at Lucerne last time out. They’re currently eight points clear atop the Swiss Super League, but it’s not just their domestic form that will provide encouragement for the Rotblau ahead of their trip to Merseyside.
The Swiss side have produced excellent performances on their last two trips to England, drawing with Spurs and beating Chelsea in 2013. But there are few tasks quite as daunting as going to Anfield under the lights on a European night and coming away with a result. With that in mind, Brendan Rodgers thinks Liverpool have the edge, per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo:
"We will get great support and there will be energy.
I remember against Zenit St Petersburg we needed to win by two and went 1-0 down early on which meant we had to win by three, then came back to win 3-1.
We could not muster that last goal. But it showed then that the support and the players coming together can be a real force.
"
In truth, the unwavering support is a given for these Liverpool players. What is perhaps less certain is whether this current crop of players is capable of conjuring a performance befitting of the atmosphere. Indeed, the Reds’ last home display—a moribund 0-0 draw with Sunderland—was a microcosm of what’s been a frustrating campaign so far.
In attacking areas, Liverpool just don’t seem to have the same cohesion and understanding as they did last season. It’s something Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo noted after that stalemate with the Black Cats:
Rodgers will be hoping his decision to rest Steven Gerrard for that game will mean his skipper is fit and firing for the Basel match. Throughout his decorated Liverpool career the 34-year-old has been the Reds’ talisman on occasions like this, and while he may not harbour quite the same dynamic influence as he once did, Gerrard's experience will be undisputedly vital here.
“Steven is a man for great days,” said defender Kolo Toure, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. “He makes magic when no-one can make it. That is why he is one of the best players in the world.” The Reds faithful will be hoping their skipper can produce another moment like this to see his side through to the next round:
Basel are a team to be taken seriously. They have shown a fortitude in high-pressure games in years gone by and their recent string of wins in the Swiss Super League means they'll come into this one in high spirits.
But with Gerrard refreshed and the Kop at their backs, it’s difficult to see Liverpool not getting the result required to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. Admittedly, there’s little tangible evidence to back that notion up when you look at recent performances, but the famous old ground harbours an aura on these nights, one that the men in red will surely tap into.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-0 FC Basel
