Liverpool vs. Macabbi Haifa. CLQ - 1st Leg. (R)

[Samarkand]

Qualifying round first leg next Wednesday. Obviously it is important Liverpool put some goals up and perhaps even more importantly not concede any. T

he strongest side starts, but what is it at the moment?

I don't think the preseason 2 wins three losses will have much of an effect but maybe?

So who starts and what's the score going to be?

[655321]

The key is to not give any away. We can score on them whenever we want, but once we put the pressure on ourselves to have score a particular amount, then I start getting worried.

Liverpool, 2-0.

PS. NO POLITICS IN THIS THREAD. That goes for Liverpool fans, as well. This is about the match only.

[christi]

I hope it will be a shutout victory. That would be useful, not only for an easier second leg, but also for the defense morale, after the bag of goals conceived in the last friendlies...

[TruReds]

I'll be very disappointed If we have to put in our best 11 in order to win this one. So hopefully Rafa will start some young lads who are eager to start. But since we had some miserable pre-seasons, I doubt the gaffer dare to risk it.

[Suss]

I'll be very disappointed If we have to put in our best 11 in order to win this one. So hopefully Rafa will start some young lads who are eager to start. But since we had some miserable pre-seasons, I doubt the gaffer dare to risk it.

Bad preseason or not, we were always going to use our best lineup in this one. Losing a Champions League qualifier is a major disaster for the club. These are some of the most important matches we will play all season.

[usscouse]

Bad preseason or not, we were always going to use our best lineup in this one. Losing a Champions League qualifier is a major disaster for the club. These are some of the most important matches we will play all season.Definately..! Put the best team out there, it's easier to back peddle than trying to play catch up.
These lesser teams always have something to prove and tend to over achieve in cup games.

[Samarkand]

Exactly. Put the best side out there and let the rest take care of itself. I'd prefer to have a 4-0 lead going into the second leg rather that a 2-1 lead wondering about away goals.

[antifan]

I can't believe that UEFA is waiting until today to announce where this game will be played. That just shows a total disregard for the fans who will have only a day to make travel arrangements to go see their team play in a crucial match. No matter where it ends up being played, UEFA should have had the guts to make a decision and stick with it weeks ago.

[Drench]

I'll be very disappointed If we have to put in our best 11 in order to win this one. So hopefully Rafa will start some young lads who are eager to start. But since we had some miserable pre-seasons, I doubt the gaffer dare to risk it.

You're under-estimating Hafia and you will be in for a surprise come wednesday, they may not be the Real Madrid's, Barcelona's or Liverpool's of this world but they have the ability to beat a lot of top teams. Rafa played some of your youngsters and you got trounced 5-0 and lost your last three games. Liverpool can't afford not to be in the Champions League, it's where Liverpool's main source of income comes from.

The formation should be this, a 4-3-3;

---------------------Reina---------------------

----Finnan-----Carragher--Hyypia-----Auerlio----

------------Gerrard----Sissoko----Alonso---------

-----------Fowler-----Crouch------Bellamy------

[liverbird]

You're under-estimating Hafia and you will be in for a surprise come wednesday, they may not be the Real Madrid's, Barcelona's or Liverpool's of this world but they have the ability to beat a lot of top teams. Rafa played some of your youngsters and you got trounced 5-0 and lost your last three games. Liverpool can't afford not to be in the Champions League, it's where Liverpool's main source of income comes from.

The formation should be this, a 4-3-3;

---------------------Reina---------------------

----Finnan-----Carragher--Hyypia-----Riise----

------------Gerrard----Sissoko----Alonso---------

-----------Pennant-----Crouch------Bellamy------

Fixed your teamsheet. God at 60 minutes.

[imasyko]

I can't believe that UEFA is waiting until today to announce where this game will be played. That just shows a total disregard for the fans who will have only a day to make travel arrangements to go see their team play in a crucial match. No matter where it ends up being played, UEFA should have had the guts to make a decision and stick with it weeks ago.

It's more about the security for the teams - I'd guess that 'Pool fans will be strongly discouraged from attending. Watch it on TV and save your coin for later games in safer environs.

[stanaccrington]

You're under-estimating Hafia and you will be in for a surprise come wednesday, they may not be the Real Madrid's, Barcelona's or Liverpool's of this world but they have the ability to beat a lot of top teams. Rafa played some of your youngsters and you got trounced 5-0 and lost your last three games. Liverpool can't afford not to be in the Champions League, it's where Liverpool's main source of income comes from.


What utter rubbish, they may not be the Real Madrids etc.....do you think this is Liverpools first season in Europe, do you think they haven't had to play smaller teams before, of course all small teams, including yours, is capable of beating a bigger team in a one off game and to bring in pre season scores as your proof shows that your basic knowledge of Rafa and Liverpool is slightly off. Does this mean as Chavski got beaten by the Mls team thay will be relegated this year? As for main source of income that is from the premiership and gates not the Champions League.
Still school holidays will be over soon and you can bring these arguments up in the playground.

[liverbird]

No CL/UEFA Cup games to be played in Israel per UEFA decision today:

http://www.uefa.com/uefa/Keytopics/kind=64/newsId=442693.html

no answer on where ours will be but Kiev has been mentioned. It would appear to be maccabi's call as long as it was in a UEFA country.

[HammerFan]

I may be a haifa fan and I really wish they will win but you got be realistic and haifa had a very very crappy preseason

[Drench]

What utter rubbish, they may not be the Real Madrids etc.....do you think this is Liverpools first season in Europe, do you think they haven't had to play smaller teams before, of course all small teams, including yours, is capable of beating a bigger team in a one off game and to bring in pre season scores as your proof shows that your basic knowledge of Rafa and Liverpool is slightly off. Does this mean as Chavski got beaten by the Mls team thay will be relegated this year? As for main source of income that is from the premiership and gates not the Champions League.
Still school holidays will be over soon and you can bring these arguments up in the playground.

Hey don't get on my back, I'm just saying it's easy to under-estimate smaller teams and get beaten in the process. It's no secret, that if Liverpool get knocked out of the Champions League this early it will have crippling effects on your finances. I was referring to the lads suggestion to play your youngsters in this match, would it be wise to play a group of lads that got trounced 5-0 to some mid table German team and lose to Grasshopper and Kaiserslautern. It's known fact that Anfield sells out only on European nights, not Premiership nights. Over the course of the season you will obviously make more revenue from the Premiership as there are 38 games to the 15/16 champions league games, but Liverpool cannot afford to lose out on the mass revenue that the Champions League offers. Overall the revenue from the Champions League eclipses the revenue from the Premiership and I'm not just talking about gate sales.

[LFCFanInCali]

I can't believe that UEFA is waiting until today to announce where this game will be played. That just shows a total disregard for the fans who will have only a day to make travel arrangements to go see their team play in a crucial match. No matter where it ends up being played, UEFA should have had the guts to make a decision and stick with it weeks ago.
The decision today affects the game for August 23rd. This week's match is at Anfield. So there is still time to make arrangements, as long as the site is announced quickly.

[soarer]

For all you Australian boys, you can see this game on ESPN at 5:00am Thursday morning.

[LFCFanInCali]

It's known fact that Anfield sells out only on European nights, not Premiership nights.
Might want to take a look at the attendance figures for the home matches last year...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/results?id=364&season=2005&cc=5901

[antifan]

The decision today affects the game for August 23rd. This week's match is at Anfield. So there is still time to make arrangements, as long as the site is announced quickly.
Ahh, that makes sense. I think i assumed because Arsenal was away first that Liverpool would be also. Two weeks is plenty of time, assuming that they actually announce where the game will be played within a reasonable amount of time.

[655321]

Might want to take a look at the attendance figures for the home matches last year...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/results?id=364&season=2005&cc=5901

Exactly.

Drench, we appreciate the advice, but we've all been here for awhile and we know what happens when Liverpool underestimates a smaller side. And we know that's not what Benitez is going to do.