So, 1st leg w/Celtic 1-1; any bets on the aggregrate score? Eventual [R] again.

[Samarkand]

Diouf not playing, and Celtic are missing a few also, like Sutton.

I have a feeling they might score, so are Liverpool up to it?

[usa1950]

Should be extremely close. Big advantage to Liverpool if they can score first.

That little Swede scares me a bit in this one. He should be a little fitter than he was last match, and eventually he'll find the net again.

That said, I think we keep the momentum going, and win 2-0, or 2-1 at Anfield and I'll predict a big game from Hamann.

Walk On

[kopiteinkc]

It's going to be an incredible match with a white hot atmosphere.

Thousands of Celtic fans will be in the Annie Rd End and the Kop should be fired up too.

I would imagine we'll see Murphy taking Diouf's place on the right.

That leaves that left midfield spot up for grabs. Does Riise move forward or do we try someone else there? I am sure Houllier will be tempted to play Cheyrou there, but Smicer should probably get the run first as I don't think Berger has had enough games in the reserves yet.

So:

Dudek
Carragher-Hyypia-Traore-Riise
Murphy-Hamann-Gerrard-Smicer
Heskey-Owen

[RedKnight]

Originally posted by kopiteinkc


So:

Dudek
Carragher-Hyypia-Traore-Riise
Murphy-Hamann-Gerrard-Smicer
Heskey-Owen

Yup.

And as usa1950 wrote, Larsson is the wild card in all of this. He could break the game almost by himself.

This will be very tough, but I'm optimistic. 2-1 to the Reds.

----

[kopiteinkc]

I'm more inclined to think that Owen's rich vein of form will really show here and I expect at least two goals from him on Thursday with Sami taking care of Larsson.

[zpjohnstone]

I think Celtic is going to have to worry about Owen considerably more than Liverpool is going to have to worry about Larsson. 2-1 to Liverpool, 3-1 if the machine is really running hot.

[mbrossetti]

Provided we get off to a better start then last week. Sure Larsson will be fitter, but if Sami holds the defense together, I think Owen will find one or two for the taking and we should, hopefully win this leg 2-0, 3-0, 2-1 or 3-1. For some reason I think we're going to be able to score more then once in this game.

[Parkhead_Faithful]

2-2
3-3 on aggregate and celtics road to glory leads onwards ;)

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Parkhead_Faithful
2-2
3-3 on aggregate and celtics road to glory leads onwards ;) We can but dream...!

It's not an easy game at all. I have fond memories of Celtic playing here in the old days. When Celtic team where all locals from within 10 miles of Parkhead, now they're from 15 nations and hate to live in Scotland..!

All I need to hear is Larssen opening his gob again and I know we've won.

[Matt Clark]

We're clear favourites. I think some of the sting was taken out of the aura of Celtic's potency by the manner in which we bossed most of the game at their place. We have to be wary of them, naturally, but if we play with the composure and purpose that we normally reserve for our big European games, then a Liverpool win is the only truly feasible outcome. Drop below that standard though ...

Liverpool is already filling up with Celtic supporters. A lot of them have been here since Monday and clearly mean to go on as they began then. Leaving the office for a lunchtime bite has become quite fun this week! ;)

[kopiteinkc]

BBC has this preview:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/2864921.stm

I like the omens here:

Michael Owen will lead the Reds' attack as he aims for a new European scoring record for the club.

The England striker scored his first European goal against Celtic as a 17-year-old when Liverpool knocked the Glasgow giants out of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1997

[liverbird]

I'll go with Kopite and RedKnight on the selection and I think 2-1 Liverpool will be the result.

[Matt Clark]

Police have announced the totally unprecedented establishment of a full cordon, manned by over 600 officers and set up some 500 yards from the ground this evening, in an effort to catch people attempting to enter Anfield using one of thousands of fake tickets that have been flooding the city since the beginning of the week. All fans will have to pass through a police checkpoint before being allowed to then queue at the turnstiles to gain entry to the game. Celtic have been given an allocation of 2,700 tickets, but over 10,000 fans are expected to travel.

Shit. There goes my last pint before the game. Hope it doesn't rain.

[Lanky134]

We're having some "routine" maintenance work done on our server at noon today. They say it shouldn't take too long, so hopefully I'll be able to provide comms.

[Lanky134]

Looks like the maintenance isn't going to affect my Internet connection, so I should be able to do comms, though I might have to put it off at some point to do actual work.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Lanky134
Looks like the maintenance isn't going to affect my Internet connection, so I should be able to do comms, though I might have to put it off at some point to do actual work. W O R K …Get your freekin’ priorities right…!!!

What time is the KO? Kick off that is, the other KO comes 90 minutes later.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
Police have announced the totally unprecedented establishment of a full cordon, manned by over 600 officers and set up some 500 yards from the ground this evening, in an effort to catch people attempting to enter Anfield using one of thousands of fake tickets that have been flooding the city since the beginning of the week. All fans will have to pass through a police checkpoint before being allowed to then queue at the turnstiles to gain entry to the game. Celtic have been given an allocation of 2,700 tickets, but over 10,000 fans are expected to travel.

Shit. There goes my last pint before the game. Hope it doesn't rain. At least you can get a pint! Last game I saw with Celtic at Anfield they wouldn’t let the pubs open anywhere near the ground.

Come to think of it I got my foot stepped on by a bloody police horse outside the Kop and the cop got pissed at me for pushing him away. Well maybe I had my fists closed.

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by usscouse
W O R K …Get your freekin’ priorities right…!!!

What time is the KO? Kick off that is, the other KO comes 90 minutes later.
I have to take off tomorrow morning for something, so I couldn't take today off.

KO is at 12:00 in your neck of the woods.

[Matt Clark]

Heading off up to L4 in a mo ... it's a grey, cold, misty day here in Liverpool. Not ideal conditions, but, somehow, so very typical of what I conjure up in my mind's eye of a typical European night at Anfield. Always with the fog ... know what I mean, scouse?

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
Heading off up to L4 in a mo ... it's a grey, cold, misty day here in Liverpool. Not ideal conditions, but, somehow, so very typical of what I conjure up in my mind's eye of a typical European night at Anfield. Always with the fog ... know what I mean, scouse? Yeh, and there’s always that feeling of anticipation and excitement in the mist. Notice how you start walking just a little faster as you get closer and start to hear the crowd.
Funny what comes to mind, after the last game I mentioned I had to go home with only one shoe and one very wet sock. During one of the ‘sways’ someone caught my heel and that was it, gone.
I really liked those winkle pickers…!

Just called me ma! She’ll be watching the game on TV in Aintree.