Tue Sep 18 11:30AM Pacific Tue Sep 18 12:30PM Mountain Tue Sep 18 01:30PM Central Tue Sep 18 02:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE ESPN2 (US) UEFA Champions League Porto (Portugal) vs Liverpool (England) ESPN360.com http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/index.html
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Porto will be without Helder Postiga for next week's matchup. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156950070911-1019.htm
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Big game, big game. Actually, it is, a good road draw to the strongest group rival will get us off and running in style, i think its good scheduling provided we can get a result. Given the Reserve game Tuesday where all the non-internationals played a half, than the international games Sat-Wed then the game against Pompey and the injuries to cara stevie and finnan, as well as rafas penchant for blooding youth in situations like this, im confident, in fact i will announce right here, that i cant name a starter other than Riena. After the Portsmouth game i expect to have an inkling about maybe 3-4 by process of elimination. maybe. amazing.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Thats an interesting point Bobinhood. So this should be a good game, but I really can't be sure we will come away with a win. I think a draw would be a good result.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto on paper Porto is the competition in this group. giving away two points would be a bad move, so Benitez is going to play for no worse than a tie. an away goal would be nice, but a nil-nil draw would be a good result. to accomplish that, the Reds must have the ability to maintain midfield dominance, keep Porto from sustaining attacks and keep shots to a minimum. i just cannot see Benitez starting anything less than a winning EPL side. he won't want to end up second in the group and face the likes of AC Milan or Barca in the knockout stage with the second leg away. that's a prescription for elimination. the next three EPL matches are Birmingham, Reading and Wigan. only Birmingham is at Anfield, but Reading has started poorly and Wigan's two wins were against Boro and Sunderland at the JJB. that doesn't sound like a side to worry about. i know that we play one game at a time, but Liverpool is a very deep squad, and the time to play cagey with the kiddies in a CL tie isn't now.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto I know it's early, but screw it -------------------Reina------------------ Finnan----Hyypiä-----Agger----Arbeloba Gerrard----Sissoko----Alonso----Yossi --------------Kuyt----Crouch------------- Subs: Itandje Carragher Risse Masch Leiva Babel Voronin
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto ------------------Reina------------------ Arbs-------Carra------Agger-----Riise- Pennant---Masch-----Gerrard---Babel ------------Torres-----Kuyt------------- Subs Itandje Aurelio Sami Sissoko Kewell/Voronin Benayoun Crouch
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto That's true, would we sit Torres for this bench or just not put him in the squad for this match? All I know is that Masch will sit on the weekend against Pompey but then we will release him on the Porto team.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto if you have Babel, Kuijt, Crouch and Voronin in the squad, you don't need Torres. if your starting 11 includes Pennant and Babel, you can sub Benayoun for a forward and put Babel up front, a position he's familiar with. if Babel can't play 90 minutes in the CL, he needs to go back to U-21 matches. i wouldn't take Torres to Porto. and if Gerrard plays against Pompey, I wouldn't take him to Porto either. but i wouldn't start him against Portsmouth.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Don't look at me! Me aint got me greasy paws on this section of the site! Matt? 26? 'Ello? I havent seen 655321 for a while actually- can someone tell him the new season's started!
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto --------------Reina-------------- Finnan---Carra---Agger---Arbeloa Pennant---SG-----Masch---Riise --------Kuyt-------Crouch------ SUBS: Itandje, Torres, Hyypia, Alonso, Kewell?, Sissoko, Babel.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto --------------Reina-------------- Finnan---Carra---Agger---Arbeloa Pennant---SG-----Masch---Riise --------Kuyt-------Crouch------ SUBS: Itandje, Torres, Hyypia, Alonso, Kewell?, Sissoko, Babel. perfect! when i said "don't take Torres to Porto", i assumed he would start against Pompey. now that he's only played 20 minutes in that match, he starts against Porto, i think. Benayoun would be an acceptable exchange for Riise, since he certainly has adequate international experience, but Riise will be very eager. if Kewell isn't match fit, then Benayoun is on the bench in his place.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Unlike in the league, draws away from home are acceptable in the Champions League. Maybe thats why we've had so much more success in Europe in the past. I think we will look to get a point. Maybe even Mascherano and Sissoko in midfield if Gerrard is still not fit. Xabi, Arbs, and Finnan are all struggling with injuries.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Riise and Momo to miss Porto match. Aurelio in squad. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N157011070917-0924.htm Revised lineup; ---------------Reina-------------- Finnan---Carra-----Agger---Arbeloa Pennant----SG-----Masch----Babel ---------Kuyt-------Torres-------- Subs: Itandje, Alonso, Crouch, Hyypia, Aurelio, Benayoun, Leiva.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Apparently Porto have some injury doubts which include their first choice goalkeeper, a central defender and a striker. But they are a tricky side, particularly at home and against English teams. I like AussieLFCfan's selection.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto Good to see Liverpool, my fav foreign team playing with a rival. Be advised Porto can do it, they have never lost against an english team home. Benitez should take this game as a final because half of the qualification is half way made if Liverpool wins this game. The thing is if Benitez thinks a 0-0 is enough to start. This would be the wrong approach to play with Porto at home.
Re: CL Matchday 1 at Porto I don't think anyone, least of all Rafa will be going out for a 0-0 draw. An away goal is 'huge' in a fixture like this even if it's a 1-1 draw but I can't see 10 men on our team romping downfield to camp in Porto's penalty area... By the way, didn't Barca say they'd never been beaten at home or even had a goal scored on them at the Nou Camp by an English team...???