Liverpool vs. Bordeaux: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Liverpool can secure progress from the Europa League's Group B with a win at Anfield on Thursday night, but with Willy Sagnol's Bordeaux standing in their way, it will not be a straightforward outing for Jurgen Klopp and his side.
Following the majesty of Saturday's 4-1 win away to Manchester City on Saturday, Klopp will be looking for Liverpool to maintain this strong form on Merseyside, as he explained to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
"We are usually in a good way to play better at home. We know how it works. We create chances, it’s not easy to play against us," he said, per This is Anfield.
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"[But] the intensity, the number of these tournaments, sometimes you have to pay the price. [Losing 2-1 at home to Crystal] Palace was more of that. We know what we have to do tomorrow."
Though Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Emre Can were all in phenomenal form at the Etihad Stadium, the Ligue 1 side will be buoyed by their previous result against the Reds—a 1-1 draw at the Nouveau Slate de Bordeaux in September—and be hoping for a win to salvage their European hopes.
Three points for Liverpool will guarantee them a place in the knockout stages, but if the result swings Bordeaux's way, qualification will go down to the wire.
There is much at stake for both sides at Anfield on Thursday night.
Date: Thursday, 25 November, 2015
Time: 8:05 p.m. GMT / 3:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK) / Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport Live (UK) / Fox Sports GO (U.S.)
Form Lines (Last 5 Games)
Liverpool: WWWLW
Bordeaux: WLDWD
Team News
Klopp heads into Thursday night's clash with a plethora of attacking options at his disposal, but this is countered by a severely weakened defensive line.
Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke are both fit and available to start, joining Firmino, Lallana, Divock Origi and Jordon Ibe as potential features in the forward line. Coutinho is the only absentee after suffering a hamstring injury at the Etihad Stadium.
It is unlikely, however, that Sturridge will start, as Klopp told reporters during Wednesday's press conference.
Per This is Anfield, the Liverpool manager said:
"He’s closer. Each session is very important, my decision you will see tomorrow, but it’s closer.
The most important thing is he can train with no problems.
If we have the feeling that it’s a good moment for [Sturridge to play] a few minutes or more, we will see in the game.
"
During the same briefing, Klopp confirmed that Martin Skrtel is unlikely to play, with the Slovak "a little ill," leaving Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren as the German's only fit senior centre-backs—academy defender Daniel Cleary is expected to be called into Klopp's squad at Anfield.
Jordan Henderson, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and Jon Flanagan all remain injured, while Jose Enrique and Joao Carlos Teixeira are ineligible after being omitted from Brendan Rodgers' original squad for the competition.
Lucas Leiva is likely to start, with the Brazilian midfielder set to serve a one-match suspension in Sunday's clash with Swansea City.
Compared to Sagnol, however, Klopp's team selection will be relatively serene, with the former France right-back lacking several key players as he leads his side to Merseyside.
Nicolas Pallois, Pablo, Gregory Sertic and Thomas Toure are all unavailable, with Sertic's ACL injury a long-term concern for Bordeaux. The defensive midfielder was stretchered off 25 minutes into Bordeaux's first Ligue 1 game of the season, with Sagnol's side lacking in leaders this season as a result.
The Frenchman will cherish Lamine Sane's presence within his starting lineup against the Reds, however, after the centre-back was deemed fit to travel with the rest of the Bordeaux squad.
Star midfielder Wahbi Khazri is suspended, though, after receiving a red card against FC Sion earlier in the tournament.
Predicted Lineups
Klopp will be cautious of rotation this time out, after over-exertion in Liverpool's last Europa League clash—away to Rubin Kazan earlier in November—led to defeat to Crystal Palace three days later, but the German will want to keep the majority of his in-form stars together to secure victory.
This is likely to see Simon Mignolet, Nathaniel Clyne, Lovren, Alberto Moreno, James Milner, Lucas and Lallana all keep their places in Klopp's starting lineup, giving the Reds a solid core to build around.
With Skrtel set to sit out this clash, Toure will come in to partner Lovren in defence, while Can—one of Klopp's most visibly fatigued performers against Palace—could be rested, with Joe Allen primed to come into the side.
Youngsters Pedro Chirivella, Jordan Rossiter and Cameron Brannagan will also be hopeful of a position.
Firmino could also be rested ahead of Sunday's clash with Swansea, with Benteke set to replace him, while Ibe serves as an able deputy to the injured Coutinho.
Sagnol will look to keep much of his first-choice defensive line together, with goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, right-back Frederic Guilbert, left-back Diego Contento all likely to feature. Sane will play at centre-back alongside Cedric Yambere, who can drop in from his regular role in midfield.
This will leave Clement Chantome and Henri Saivet operating in the engine room, behind a possible three-man attacking midfield of Andre Biyogo Poko, Jussie and Nicolas Maurice-Belay.
High-potential 20-year-old striker Enzo Crivelli could continue his stint leading the line.
Likely Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Lucas, Allen; Lallana, Benteke, Ibe.
Likely Bordeaux XI: Carrasco; Guilbert, Sane, Yambere, Contento; Chantome, Saivet; Poko, Jussie, Maurice-Belay; Crivelli.
Players to Watch
Adam Lallana
Lallana opened the scoring in September's draw at the Nouveau Slate de Bordeaux, in one of few top-level individual performances under former manager Rodgers this season.
But Klopp's arrival at Anfield has marked a renaissance for the £25 million man, who is going some distance to justifying the lofty fee sanctioned to secure his move from Southampton last summer.
Against City, Lallana was at his industrious, intelligent best; pressing Manuel Pellegrini's defenders off the ball and linking well with Firmino and Coutinho in a fluid, fast-paced attacking trident; though the Englishman played a supporting role, his contribution was vital.
Klopp will be looking for more of the same from Lallana against Bordeaux.
Enzo Crivelli
After progressing through the ranks at Bordeaux, Crivelli burst into the first-team setup in 2014/15, scoring his first goal for the club in May.
Under Sagnol this season, the 20-year-old's development has continued encouragingly, and Crivelli is now a key feature in the Bordeaux attacking line, scoring twice and assisting on three goals in 10 Ligue 1 appearances so far.
A tall, physical centre-forward with a strong creative zeal, Crivelli could be central to Bordeaux's success at Anfield. After playing out 90 minutes without a goal at home to the Reds last time out, he will be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet on Thursday night.
Key Battle
Jordon Ibe vs. Frederic Guilbert
Sagnol has taken the unorthodox approach of putting his faith in a pair of ridiculously young right-backs at Bordeaux this season, switching between Guilbert (20) and Milan Gajic (19) on the opposite flank to regular left-back Maxime Poundje (23).
The Bordeaux manager has been rewarded with some positive performances from the youthful pair, but Guilbert will be tested if he faces up against Ibe on Thursday night.
After recovering from a minor knee injury over the international break, Ibe will be looking to recapture the form that saw him score against Rubin and shine in the defeat to Palace, and a matchup with Guilbert could be favourable.
Ibe's pace, trickery and maturing game intelligence will see him trouble his marker throughout, and if he can get in behind Guilbert at any point on Thursday night, his delivery towards Benteke could help put Bordeaux to the sword.
Odds
Liverpool win: 8/15
Bordeaux win: 73/10
Draw: 17/5
Odds via OddsChecker and correct at time of writing.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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