Liverpool's Europa League Campaign: A Thoroughly Unwelcome Distraction

Liverpool will tomorrow face off against Unirea Urziceni of Romania at Anfield in their first involvement in the reincarnation of the UEFA Cup, the Europa League.

This was never likely to be a tournament that Liverpool wanted to be involved in, with the third placed team in each Champions League group moving down into Europe’s second-tier competition. Not only that, but the competition is re-commencing at a crucial time in Liverpool’s season.

With the Reds travelling to the City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday, the latest in a long line of ‘must wins’ for Benitez’s side, the visit of Unirea couldn’t really come at a worse time. City’s woke up this morning following a draw with Stoke put them point ahead of Liverpool in the race for fourth, with a game in hand.

The winners of Sunday’s match will go a long way towards securing the final Champions’ League spot, a financial incentive that is as vital for Liverpool as it is a triviality for City. Nevertheless, the blue half of Manchester are desperate for Champions’ League football for other reasons.

With Liverpool’s long list of injuries only just abating, there is a strong risk that the increased number of midweek games could cause recurrences of old knocks, or even the emergence of new ones. Benitez must not be tempted to bring back Benayoun, Johnson and Torres too early and risk them going back into the treatment room for even longer.

If Liverpool beat Unirea over two legs, the round of 16 awaits. These ties also coincide with another crucial match; the second leg is three days before Liverpool play Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Yes, Liverpool have a strong history in the UEFA Cup. But does Rafa really want to contend with an additional nine games to win a trophy that will only ever be called ‘Mickey Mouse?’

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