Champions League: All or Nothing for Liverpool

Liverpool put their Champions League hopes on the line tonight in Olympic Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.

A win will see the Reds through to the next round, while a defeat will see Marseille progress at Liverpool's expense.

A draw is likely to see Marseille progress as well, as the Reds would need Besiktas to beat Porto in Portugal.

Liverpool’s plight is familiar, if not entirely welcome. Two years ago, the Reds needed a two-goal victory against Olympiacos at Anfield at the same stage of European play.

The Reds rose to that challenge despite trailing 1-0 at halftime. This time around, the club don't have home-field advantage—but neither do they have to win by two goals.

A scrappy, dour 1-0 affair will do just as well.

There's little doubt that Liverpool on their best day are the equal of any side in Europe. Their away record in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez—including victories at Barcelona, PSV, and Bayer Leverkusen—stands up to that of any other team.

Should Liverpool advance, moreover, they stand as good a chance as any club to go far in the competition—and certainly their two most recent outings will have opponents wary of the Reds.

Skeptics in the press will harp on the ongoing feud between Benitez and the club's owners, or the fact that Liverpool's next Premiership game is against Manchester United...but the truth is that the Reds know how to handle themselves in Champions League play.

The Reds’ big guns—Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher—all covet a European title. They know they must perform tonight to secure the Reds’ passage through to the next phase of the tournament.

Liverpool fans, for their part, have grown accustomed to success in Europe's premier competition. A loss tonight won't necessarily lead to calls for Rafa's head, but the ignominy of being knocked out before Christmas isn't something anyone wants to contemplate.

So, to Señores Benitez, Torres, Gerrard, et. al.—the Kop is counting on you. We almost conquered Europe a year ago. Let's  finish the job in 2008.