Champions League Preview: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid

With their hopes of domestic glory fading away, both Liverpool and Real Madrid are set to put all their eggs in the Champions League basket. But by the end of Tuesday night, one of these two illustrious European juggernauts will be forced to leave empty handed.

Liverpool may have been criticised for their overly conservative approach in the first leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu but it was a move that paid off handsomely for Rafa Benitez. The strategy to sit back, absorbed the pressure and hit Real Madrid on the counter-attack left their over-eager opponents frustrated and impatient, so much so that a silly, unnecessary foul from Gabriel Heinze and slapdash defending from the ensuing freekick allowed one of the smallest players on the pitch to score with his head.

But make no mistake, the strategy was a big gamble by Benitez as he had to put a lot of faith and trust in his players’ defensive discipline. Los Merengues had recently been on something of a goal spree, where they netted ten goals in their last 135 minutes of football prior to the clash with the Reds, and the Liverpool gaffer must have been troubled by anxiety that his gameplan was either going to work or flop spectacularly.

But work it did and it wasn’t all about lining up ten men in red shirts right in front of the goalmouth. Javier Mascherano led the first line of defence brilliantly in midfield, whilst Jamie Carragher marshalled the backline without a hitch. It was executed so perfectly that Madrid never really had a clear shot at goal and Pepe Reina’s net was never really in danger of being rippled, bar Gonzalo Higuain’s offside goal.

Although Rafa has admitted that his side will not play as defensively at Anfield, with a one goal advantage, it’s hard to find a reason why the Spanish tactician would try to fix something that isn’t broken.

With the Premier League title seemingly edging further and further away from them by the week, the pressure is on the Merseysiders to bring the continental crown back to Anfield to avoid another disappointing campaign.

Real Madrid are staring straight at another catastrophic Champions League campaign. A 0-0 first leg scoreline, whilst not perfect, would have been a decent enough a result to take to Anfield for the return clash, as it would have prompted Liverpool to at least come out of their shells and attack in front of their home crowd.

But Benayoun’s late and unexpected goal washed that plan straight down the drain for Los Blancos and they are now faced with a daunting swim upstream just to bring this contest back on level terms.

Unlike their English counterparts, who can be flexible with their strategy, Madrid’s only way out of this predicament is to attack. By hook or by crook, they need to score and they need to keep things tight at the back to avoid leaking in any more goals. The 'Men In White' can hardly take comfort in the fact that the Scousers have conceded just five times in their last 11 home games and they have not been beaten in front of the Kop in almost exactly 13 months.

It would appear that once again, Madrid’s philosophy of having to win every single football match they take part in could cost them dearly, just like it did against Roma last season at this very stage of the tournament.

With their hopes of defending the back-to-back La Liga title not looking any brighter, it seems as though Madrid’s main prospect of silverware this season – to add to their Spanish Supercopa – is the Champions League.

The European crown, which they conquered so dominantly in the competition’s infancy when they famously won it five years in a row, is now starting to turn into a jinx, much like the Copa del Rey. If they fail to get past Liverpool on Tuesday, it would be five years in a row, ironically, where they have stumbled at the very first knockout stage.


FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

Mar 03 Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland Premier League

Feb 28 Middlesbrough 2-0 Liverpool Premier League

Feb 25 Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool Champions League

Feb 22 Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City Premier League

Feb 07 Portsmouth 2-3 Liverpool Premier League

Real Madrid

Mar 07 Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid La Liga

Feb 28 Espanyol 0-2 Real Madrid La Liga

Feb 25 Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool Champions League

Feb 21 Real Madrid 6-1 Real Betis La Liga

Feb 15 Sporting Gijon 0-4 Real Madrid La Liga


TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

First leg hero, Yossi Benayoun is certain to miss the clash after pulling a hamstring during training. Fernando Torres, meanwhile, is still struggling to regain match fitness following an ankle injury but Benitez will monitor his situation closely to ascertain how big a role he will be able to play on Tuesday.

Alvaro Arbeloa is also nursing a hamstring problem while Daniel Agger still has a back problem and both men will join Torres for a late fitness test to determine if they will make the squad.

Albert Riera is a definite absentee as he is suspended for card accumulation. Mascherano and Arbeloa will banned for the next game if they pick up another booking in this clash.

Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Reina – Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Fabio Aurelio –Mascherano, Xabi Alonso – Gerrard (c), Kuyt, Babel – N’Gog

Real Madrid

Juande Ramos has no fresh injury concerns or suspension worries. In addition, he will welcome Pepe and Wesley Sneijder back to the squad following their weekend suspensions on the domestic front. The Dutchman, however, will most likely start on the bench alongside Guti after the coach hinted in his training sessions that he will retain Marcelo as the left winger with Lassana Diarra and Fernando Gago forming the double pivot.

Javier Saviola and Miguel Torres have been included in the convoy but Michel Salgado, Royston Drenthe, Javi Garcia and Dani Parejo have all been omitted. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is ineligible.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze – Robben, Lass, Gago, Marcelo – Raul (c), Higuain


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool

Steven Gerrard only made a wind-down-the-clock substitute appearance in the first leg but now that he is back to full fitness, his contributions, leadership and influence on the pitch will be extremely critical if Liverpool are to safely cross the line.

Jamie Carragher will once again be responsible for closing the door shut on any Madrid advances. He did a phenomenal job shackling Raul in the first leg and the Reds vice-captain will have to remain on top of his game in the off-chance Benitez does employ a slightly more attacking-minded approach.

Real Madrid

If there’s one game this season where Madrid really need their captain, Raul to shine and deliver, it would be this one game. Who better to count on when you need to score goals than the Champions League’s all-time leading marksman.

Arjen Robben didn’t quite get his revenge a fortnight ago, but he will have another chance to make matters right. Often Madrid’s prime creative spark, a lot will depend on him to breach the Reds defence. But he must also learn to be less selfish when he gets the ball into a decent scoring position.

Benitez Warns Liverpool About Real Madrid's Raul, Robben & Higuain

The Reds gaffer has pinpointed who he believes will be The Whites’ three key figures when the two European superpowers collide in the Champions League.

Despite taking a 1-0 lead back to Anfield for the return clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is well aware that the contest is far from over.

The Spaniard believes that Los Blancos have three key figures who could turn the tie around and he wants his charges to keep a close eye on them, although he declared that he will not change his team’s style of play to accommodate their opponents’ threats.

“It is necessary to keep an eye on Raul, [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Arjen] Robben. But it does not worry me how Madrid will play. I know very clearly how we are going to play and that is all that matters,” he said during the pre-match press call.

“We must approach the game thinking about scoring, not conceding and winning. The way we will do this will depend on both teams.

“Madrid will not attack from the first minute. They will wait and see how we play first.”

Benitez acknowledged that both sides are in similar shoes in their respective domestic league but he does not subscribe to the idea that Los Blancos will be heavily affected by their recent slip-up in the Primera Division at the weekend.

He said, “They will not be affected, I can assure you. They are two completely different competitions and there’s nothing in common.

“But I hope that we can count on the Anfield support because it will be extremely vital. I hope to hear the Madrid players say at the end of the game that they atmosphere affected them a lot.”

The former Valencia coach has again reiterated that he will not make a decision on the availability of the injured Fernando Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa until the last minute.

Phil Thompson Believes Liverpool Crowd Is Key Against Real Madrid

The man who captained the Reds to a European Cup final triumph over los Merengues thinks that the passionate Anfield support could be the key factor tonight.

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson - a stalwart defender during his playing days who was the first man born in the city to lift the European Cup - believes that the Anfield crowd will need to be at its raucously loud best in order to spur the Reds onto victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

The Reds carry a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the Champions League knock-out phase tie, thanks to Yossi Benayoun's headed effort in the Bernabeu and Thompson, who has also worked as assistant manager at the club, thinks that the crowd is key.

"It is a flag day, the first time Madrid have come to Anfield and we need to show them just how special Anfield is on big occasions," he told The Liverpool Echo today.

"Real have been all over the world but will have never experienced anything like it."

Thompson was captain when Liverpool overcame Real 1-0 in the 1981 European Cup final, when an 82nd minute goal from Alan Kennedy saw the Mersey men become continental champions for the third time.

"Yes it was great and is all about the 1981 final for me," the 55-year-old added.

"To be the first Scouser to lift the European Cup for Liverpool was the most pleasing thing about it. Emlyn Hughes had lifted it in '77 and '78 and had become a Scouser but he was not born in the city.

"Just imagine my feelings of doing something like that. I stood on the Kop and supported the club which makes a huge difference and an incredible feeling and one that is hard to describe.

"I captained England and loved it but lifting the European Cup as captain of Liverpool was the greatest moment of my career."

And the former England defender also thinks that a strong team ethic is vital for today's Reds, as well as the right tactics from manager Rafa Benitez, if they are to prevail on Wednesday.

"It was a big win in Madrid two weeks ago and Liverpool were the better side. The success goes down to the whole team, I think in each area – defence, midfield and attack – everybody did their job. We looked motivated, organised and were better than them in all departments.

"These are two top teams playing against each other, big, big footballing nations and we showed them how much better the Premier League is.

"The win was all down to tactics, passion and the motivation of the players – everything was right on the night."

And the famously committed Liverpudlian concluded by asserting that there was no room for complacency either, stating, "I think we need the fans. We are in the ascendancy after getting the away goal, we are winning 1-0 but can't rest on our laurels.

"If we for one minute think this is in the bag, as players do sometimes and think the work is done, then we are in for a shock."

Benítez Lays Trap For Real By Treating Anfield As Home Away From Home

Rafael Benítez has a clear picture when approaching Premier League games, using his rotational policy, and another when it comes to dealing with major Champions League matches. Clearly, although Liverpool fans crave a period of domestic domination by wresting control from Manchester United, their Spanish leader sees European success as the key to major accolades.

Away from home, whether it be in Istanbul or Barcelona, Benítez sets out his stall precisely and is unfazed, whomever the opposition. He knows that in an away game, no matter how much opponents might dominate the ball and attack, chances will fall to his team over the 90 minutes. He preaches patience and conveys clear instructions, almost to the extent of pleading with his side not to become restless if the opposition are monopolising the ball. An opportunity will eventually come.

Given the balance of this tie, Real Madrid can expect Benítez to adopt those European away tactics at Anfield this evening. Benítez, like Gérard Houllier before him on Merseyside, is a naturally cautious manager who rarely plays expansive football with wide players dashing down the flanks. His is a solid block, relying upon discipline and his players demonstrating a real understanding of the system he wants to adopt. It is a tactic that has worked wonders in the Champions League.

It is a simple system. He wants his team to defend and implement a solid, organised shape quickly, almost inviting the opposition to attack. It demands an unambitious, rugged back four; two deep-lying midfielders charged largely with destructive, defensive duties; and speed and precision on the counter-attack. Simplistic that may be, but it needs huge discipline to succeed. The slightest lapse by any unit and opponents can swarm through, yet this group has bought into the gameplan.

His is a back four that doesn't lose its shape or position, one which includes full-backs programmed to sit at home and not go careering forward in support. If you cut out the space either side of your centre-backs, there is no freedom down the sides – no channels – for opposition attackers to run into and create opportunities. Furthermore, when the full-backs stay in position, the centre-backs are always more comfortable about receiving reliable cover if they do make a mistake. It is a matter of making sure the distance between any two defenders at any time is only a few yards at most.

Just as vital in what is effectively a 4-2-3-1 are the solid midfield sitters, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. Neither will ever develop a nosebleed playing higher in the opposition half. Rarely prepared to roam into forward areas, they work in front of the centre-backs, tackling, anticipating and giving the ball quickly to the team's more dangerous, creative part. They are the foundations upon which attacks are built.

Players from Spain, Brazil and Argentina understand the more patient game Benítez likes to play. They have been brought up in the less frenetic atmosphere as junior players and at early professional level back home, where the accent is on technique rather than blood and thunder. Aurelio, Arbeloa, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera and even the goalkeeper, Reina, are therefore effective in European games as they have the mentality to accept sitting patiently and waiting to pounce.

Above all, they know that, in Torres, Benayoun and Gerrard, particularly, a goal can be conjured in a trice. There was a time when possession was nine-tenths of the law, particularly in midfield. These days, however, counter-attacking is recognised as a team's major weapon. It is the speed that you transfer a ball – when possession switches between the sides – that is key. Fast players have flourished in the modern game, seizing every opportunity to spring forward when the opposition concedes possession, hoping their opponents have over-committed and you can quickly get a man over.

Liverpool have become experts at this tactic. Gerrard, with his wonderful range of long and short but always accurate passes, can liberate Torres and the Spanish striker takes a high percentage of his chances. Kuyt, Riera and Benayoun, likewise, all know when and where to break. It is quite probable that if one studies the statistics, Arsenal and Manchester United, and also maybe Chelsea, dominate possession in European games far more than Liverpool, but this has not always translated into goals scored. Liverpool, with less possession, rely on the counter and it suits their plan, their players and their wily European fox, Benítez.

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: What To Look Out For At Anfield...

Lassana Diarra takes great care with the ball, but is not so disciplined when defending.

Liverpool will look to break into the space around and behind him.

There will be a gap between Real's defence and midfield for them to try and exploit.....and nobody does that better than a rampaging Steven Gerrard, who is playing his 100th European game for Liverpool tonight.

He spent most of the first leg on the bench, following his recovery from injury, but these are the nights when he comes into his best form.

Pepe is the big lumbering central defender who will return to the Real team tonight.

He is a physical presence for them, but can sometimes go wandering and be caught out of position. Fernando Torres, if fit, will look to make the most of that.

Liverpool have more cunning and craft in their central midfield pairing of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso.

They will look to control the tempo of the game and provide a guard to the back four, too.

They will look to run the game.

You cannot underestimate a team who turn up with Real's quality.

Take your pick from Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Arjen Robben, Sergio Ramos, Gonzalo Higuain and, of course, Raul, with 64 Champions League goals.

Rafa Benitez seems rattled by criticism, but he has to prove he can take Liverpool all the way in the League.

We know he is a great negotiator of these Champions League knockout games, but that is not enough for Liverpool supporters.

Madrid, with Raul, know only one way of playing - attack, attack, attack. They might start slowly, but then we will have to see what they have.

Surely they will not go down without a fight, but I expect Liverpool will have too much in the end.

Raul Hoping For Historic Victory Against Liverpool FC

Raul has called on Real Madrid to make history by dumping Liverpool out of the Champions League tonight.

The Spanish side visit Anfield for the first time in a competitive fixture looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit from their first knockout round tie.

Madrid have fallen at this stage of the competition in each of the last four seasons, losing to Roma, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus. However, Spanish clubs have enjoyed success at Anfield in the recent past with Celta Vigo, Valencia and Barcelona all returning home with victories.

And Raul said: “It’s a massive game.

“We’ll be going into the game full of hope. It’s a date made for history, a day for making history.

“It’s a fantastic atmosphere here in the ground and we are looking forward to playing in it and we want to progress.”

Aurelio: 'Rafa Is The Key To Liverpool FC's Future'

Fabio Aurelio has seen a future without Rafael Benitez – and warned Liverpool to do all they can to ensure it doesn’t happen any time soon.

Ever since the Champions League draw paired the Anfield outfit with Real Madrid, it was inevitable the subject of Benitez would become a significant sideshow to the game.

Madrid are long time suitors of the Liverpool manager, who spent 16 years at the Bernabeu as a player and then coach.

And the longer Benitez’s proposed new contract remains unsigned, the greater the intrigue builds over his whereabouts after the end of the season.

For Aurelio, though, there should be no debate. “In my opinion it is essential that Liverpool must try to keep him,” says the Brazilian. “Every year he has been here, the squad has improved.

“In almost every year he has got to the final stages of the Champions League and we have been getting closer to the title.”

Aurelio knows all about the influence of Benitez, having played under the Spaniard during his three-year spell in charge at Valencia.

Benitez ended the club’s 31-year wait for the La Liga crown in his first season before two years later again beating Real Madrid and Barcelona to the Spanish title while also lifting the Uefa Cup.

Anfield then came calling with the prospect of a fresh challenge. But while Liverpool have undoubtedly prospered since Benitez’s arrival in the summer of 2004, so Valencia’s fortunes have deteriorated.

Aurelio stayed on for a further two seasons in which the Uefa Super Cup was won before joining his former manager at Anfield in 2006, after which Valencia have only a Copa Del Rey to show for their efforts.

Such is the hole left by Benitez, the Mestalla outfit are now on their fourth manager since his departure and currently stand in eighth place, some 24 points behind leaders Barcelona.

And Aurelio says: “Rafa was key to the success Valencia had. We didn’t have a squad with big names but we have a competitive squad, and Rafa coached his players really well.

“Maybe the success of Valencia was 70-80% because of Benitez.

“It was a big disappointment for Valencia when Rafa left. He came from a second division team and in his first season there he won La Liga, the first time Valencia had won it in 31 years.

“Then in his third season he won La Liga again and the Uefa Cup. Everybody was really excited about Rafa and the work he was doing. But he decided to move to Liverpool and another challenge.

“After he left, everybody was comparing the coaches with Rafa. He won 10 games in a row there, so everybody was expecting the next coach to win 11.

“That affected Valencia a lot as what he did there, nobody could repeat.”

Benitez will aim to better Madrid once again when Liverpool aim for the quarter-finals of the Champions League this evening.

Aurelio was one of the star performers of the 1-0 first-leg win in the Bernabeu a fortnight ago, creating the winner for Yossi Benayoun and negating the threat of dangerous Madrid winger Arjen Robben.

But the modest left-back says: “It was not only me that stopped Robben, it was the team; Riera helped and Mascherano closed down the space.

“Everybody was working together to make the game easier.

“Rafa told all of the defenders that Madrid have got individualists up front that can win games.”

The Champions League once more represents Liverpool’s most likely route to silverware given the manner in which their Premier League title challenge has floundered during the past two months.

Benitez’s side visit leaders Manchester United on Saturday in the knowledge anything but a victory would effectively signal the end of their championship hopes.

“It’s fair to say the next week will make or break our season,” admits Aurelio. “We can just concentrate on the Madrid game for now, but if we can get through to the quarter-finals then it will be a massive confidence boost for the team and can help us in our game against United.

“The United game is our last chance to show we can still be in the title race and it’s important to gain confidence going into that game.”

Aurelio adds: “When you are at a big club such as Liverpool then you know you will be fighting for the big challenges such as the final of the Champions League and trying to win the Premier League.

“Liverpool have shown in the last few years that the Champions League is a competition we like and know how to play in it. We’ve still got a lot to do in the Premier League. We have a small chance of winning the league but we’re going to have beat United and Villa. But you need to handle that kind of pressure when you are at Liverpool.”

Liverpool are hopeful Fernando Torres will have recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in the first-leg win at Bernabeu and which has kept him out of the subsequent two games. And Aurelio says: “It’s important to have Fernando back. He’s one of our key players, and he’s especially keen to play against Madrid who have always been a rival to him. He wants to show Madrid what he is capable of doing.

“Fernando has quality, he has pace and is a good finisher. With Madrid having to go forward we will have more space behind their defence and Fernando can be a key player for us.”

Aurelio is one of several Liverpool players who are out of contract at the end of next season, their situation mirroring that of the manager to increase the air of uncertainty surrounding Anfield.

“I feel very good here and if the club wants me to stay for longer than I would like to stay longer,” says the Brazilian.

“To be honest, I am not worried that talks over a possible new deal haven’t started yet.”

He added: “I have had some problems with injuries in the past and I am just enjoying the moment of playing in these big games.”

Mark Lawrenson: Madrid Just Not The Real Deal Anymore

First thing's first - a prediction. There is no way Real Madrid can be as poor tonight as they were in the Bernabeu.

But here's another prediction - they still won't have enough to stop Liverpool progressing to another Champions League quarter-final at Anfield tonight.

Often in Europe you play a team and by the time the second leg comes round the same opponents are unrecognisable.

And after the awful performance they put in at their own place, Real are going to have be that way to stand any chance of overturning the one-goal deficit Liverpool hold.

Let's face it, if they'd played like that for three weeks at the Bernabeu, we'd still be waiting for them to score.

I can only see them improving for the second leg, so Liverpool will have to make sure they respond with an away goal of their own. That will obviously be the key to seeing out the tie.

But I honestly believe that this current Real Madrid are Real Madrid in name only - and not the European superpower that it suggests.

Back in the days of Zidane, Ronaldo and Figo, you'd back them all day long to get the away goals they need.

One good spell was all it used to take and they could score two or three goals to kill you off in an instant.

The current Madrid side just can't live up to that and their recent Champions League record proves it.

In fact, if Liverpool, driven on by the great backing they always get at Anfield on these nights, can get in amongst them and swarm them in midfield, I can't see a way back.

I can only see them caving in.

Benitez: Respect Liverpool FC's European Record

Rafael Benitez believes he does not get the recognition he deserves for his Champions League record at Liverpool.

The Anfield manager will aim to lead his side into a fourth quarter-final appearance in five years when they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their first knockout round tie this evening.

Liverpool hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg after securing a famous win at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago.

Since Benitez assumed control in the summer of 2004, the Anfield outfit won the European Cup the following year, were runners-up in 2007 and reached the semi-finals last year.

The Spaniard has come in for fierce criticism for his failure to end Liverpool’s long wait for a domestic championship, with this season’s hopes having faltered following a poor run of form since the turn of the year.

However, Benitez was on the offensive yesterday and when asked if his record in Europe was being taken for granted, the Spaniard said: “The messages are not the best in terms of this. The success we have had in Europe is not easy. It’s meant a lot of credit for the players, a lot of memories and a lot of money for the club.

“We are doing very well in Europe and thanks to this we can improve the squad and improve everything a little bit.

He added: “Maybe people do not realise how difficult it is to do well in the Champions League. Before an important game is not the best time to talk about these things. But money is the big difference between us and Manchester United and Chelsea.

“We have to reduce that gap by doing well in the Champions League every year.”

Liverpool’s first-leg win sent them top for the first time since 1985 of Uefa’s ranking system, which awards points for matches won and quality of opposition over the last five years.

And Benitez added: “For me and the club, it’s important that we are the best club in Europe over the last five years. It shows we have been doing a lot of good things in the Champions League and it gives us satisfaction.

“We are now again at the latter stages of the competition and that shows that we are clearly the best team in the Champions League over this period and we deserve to be there because of how we have progressed.

“We are clearly one of the best teams in Europe in terms of our mentality. We wouldn’t do as well as we have in the Champions League if we didn’t have that. We know we can beat anyone if we play well.”

Liverpool have won just two of 12 competitive games at home to Spanish opposition, although they have emerged triumphant in six of seven two-legged ties against teams from Spain.

Asked about a negative Liverpool performance in the Bernabeu, Benitez said: “I’m really happy about this, really happy because we won doing a very, very good job. We have to progress and play as well as possible. We have to play well and win but the order is to win and to play well if it’s possible.”

Tonight’s game is the first of a trio of games that will shape the remainder of Liverpool’s season.

Benitez’s men visit Old Trafford on Saturday for a must-win Premier League clash against Manchester United before entertaining Aston Villa the following week.

Kuwaiti Investors To Hold Further Liverpool Talks

A Kuwaiti investment group is continuing negotiations to invest in Liverpool, with representatives set to meet the co-owner Tom Hicks "within the next two weeks".

Hicks and George Gillett purchased Liverpool in February 2007 but their relationship has since deteriorated and, with a £350m bank loan needing to be repaid or refinanced in the next four months, an investor or outright buyer is being sought.

Abdulla Al-Sager, who is representing his family in the talks, said talks with Hicks in Texas are imminent after last week insisting the Americans were asking for "too much" to invest in the Anfield club.

"They are willing to negotiate and we are negotiating and will continue to do so in the weeks to come," Al-Sager told Bloomberg. "We are serious and things can change."

Al-Sager, who was at Liverpool's 2–0 win over Chelsea on 1 February along with Rafed Al-Kharafi, a member of one of Kuwait's richest families, did not reveal the size of the stake to be discussed, but hinted the group would be prepared to work with Hicks.
"Hicks and his team are nice people and unbelievably humble," he said. "We are huge supporters and we definitely want something to happen."

Al-Sager is hopeful of galvanising the club. "We want to build the new stadium in Stanley Park [work on which has stalled] and make the team do really well," he added.

Euro Success Magnifies Liverpool Dilemma

Steve McManaman helped Real Madrid win two European Cups during his time at the Bernabeu and strutted his stuff with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Fernando Hierro.

They are great names for a club with a great past but the present, as McManaman tells BBC Sport, is a different story, with Real arriving on Merseyside to try to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Liverpool.

Although they are record nine-time winners of the European Cup, Real have not progressed beyond the last 16 in the competition in four seasons and McManaman thinks that run will continue after Tuesday's second leg at Anfield.

"Real are a different team now with different individuals and I can't see them turning around the tie," said the 37-year-old, who won the competition with the Spaniards in 2000 and 2002.

"Liverpool are favourites to go through," predicted McManaman, who left the Reds for Real in 1999 and became a cult Los Blancos hero compared to the Galactico status of his more revered team-mates.

"If anything there might be a slightly different task now for Liverpool as a 0-0 result will see them through but they have to be positive rather than trying to play out for the draw because when you start doing that people get nervous.

"Real will have to go out and try to outgun Liverpool and that will play right into their hands.

There will be acres of space for Liverpool and they will create chances and, at set-pieces, Real are certainly vulnerable."

He added: "Liverpool will still have to be wary of Arjen Robben, Raul and Gonzalo Higuain.

"Guti is also back. He picks out a good pass up front and can thread balls through.

"You have to be aware of Real's attacking prowess but on a special European night the atmosphere will be incredible and I can't see anything but a Liverpool victory."

The confidence McManaman has in Liverpool achieving further European success does not apply to the club's challenge for a first Premier League title since 1989-1990.

"In knockout games home and away, Liverpool know how to get results but it's sustaining that and getting them over 38 games in the Premier League where they have faltered," he said.

"Manchester United might be big favourites to win almost everything this season but you wouldn't relish playing Liverpool in a knockout situation.

"They know how to grind teams down and stifle them and make it a battle.

"It's the tactical nous of manager Rafael Benitez. He sets the team up in a particular way and it gets results.

"It's not as creative as Manchester United but defensively they have a certain way of playing and they can get results. They mean business in Europe."

But what helps Liverpool in Europe appears to be their downfall in the top flight as they have struggled to break down defensive-minded opponents and drawn six out of 14 league games at home this season.

"Domestically, it's a long season and when teams come to Anfield and just sit and stifle Liverpool, then they need the creativity to break them down," explained McManaman.

"You can win by the odd goal home and away in Europe, whereas in the Premier League you have to go out and beat teams, especially at home, when sometimes it's hardest.

"At the minute, Manchester United have that edge. They have that little bit more creativity.

"Liverpool may have two or three players who can open up defences where Manchester United have three, four, five and then some on the bench just in case.

"Liverpool need a proper right midfielder, another creative left winger and to clear out a few people.

"But they also need to bring in a few quality creative players.

"Unfortunately, the rest of Europe is looking for these players as well and they cost an arm and a leg, so it's easier said than done."

Striker Robbie Keane was supposed to add some flair to the Anfield attack when he signed last summer but he returned to Tottenham in the January transfer window after failing to impress Benitez.

"I would rather have had him in my squad than not," said McManaman. "If Liverpool had sold him and brought in another player I could have understood it.

"For three or four months I would have kept him, seen what happens and sold him at the end of the season if that was the way it was going to go."

The ongoing boardroom politics also seem to be blocking the club's progress and, until that is solved, doubts will remain over the ability of the Reds to break Manchester United's stranglehold and compete on and off the pitch.

McManaman concluded: "The sooner Liverpool are sorted out with a new stadium and going forward in that direction there will always be question marks about them."

Fabio Cannavaro Certain Liverpool Will Be Defensive Against Real Madrid Again

Los Blancos’ Italian centre-back has no doubts that the Reds will rely on their defensive strategy again when the two sides collide in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 encounter.

Real Madrid were stung 1-0 by Liverpool at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg Champions League clash two weeks ago. The Merseysiders’ ultra-defensive, counterattacking approach earned them the vital away win.

Los Blancos are expecting the same kind of treatment in the return clash at Anfield on Tuesday and defender Fabio Cannavaro is convinced that Rafael Benitez's side will station every man behind the ball again.

“At the Bernabeu, Liverpool did not make any effort to win the game,” ‘Canna’ said in an interview with AS. “Throughout the match, their goalkeeper [Pepe Reina] kept sending long balls to Dirk Kuyt over and over again.

“I know for certain they will do the same at Anfield. I am sure of it. We must play our best football and must also have a lot of patience and eliminate any mistakes at the back. If we can score against them, we will force them to come out and play.”

The veteran defender believes he knows what the secret is to unlock Liverpool’s stubborn backline.

“We do not have to go all out attack for 90 minutes,” he said. “The key is to open the field by looking for our wingers so that they can take on their players one-on-one.

“We also have to take advantage of any mistakes their centre-backs might make because there’s always a chance they will slip-up.

“But we can’t just rely on Arjen Robben or Marcelo or Wesley Sneijder. If we want to win at Anfield, we have to play as a team because we do not have individuals like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This Madrid side needs to unite as one, and that includes players on the bench, the coaches and the physios.

“Liverpool are by no means a better team than Madrid. They are a very organised and solid team and they know exactly how to play. They are very compact because they have been playing more or less with the same team for the last six years.

“For me, they are most dangerous on the counter and when it comes to set-pieces. They will allow you to play and they will even give you the ball, however, once they find a gap at the back, they will score.”

Finally, when asked what he will do if Madrid were to overcome the Reds and advance to the quarter-finals, he replied, “If we beat Liverpool, I will let my hair grown long again. I promise.”

Michel Salgado: Anfield Atmosphere Can Help Real Madrid Win In Liverpool

Real Madrid can use the atmosphere inside Anfield to help boost their own morale and performance level when they play against Liverpool in midweek, according to Michel Salgado.

Michel Salgado believes that the atmosphere inside Anfield on Tuesday may actually help Real Madrid to raise their game and turn around their first leg deficit to oust Liverpool from the Champions League.

Los Merengues' full-back has played against the Reds at the famous venue before, helping Celta Vigo eliminate the Premier League team in the UEFA Cup 11 years ago.

He thinks that the hot reception Madrid are bound to receive will actually inspire the visitors to play well.

"[Valery] Karpin, [Claude] Makelele, Mazinho, [Aleksandr] Mostovoi, [Haim] Revivo, Juan Sanchez - they all played for Celta back then,” the defender explained to Real Madrid’s official television channel. “We had a great team but it was still a shock to win at Anfield.

"It is a very special stadium, different to all the rest. Its atmosphere makes you do your best, which is why I’ve been saying it’s possible to win there, especially if you are Real Madrid. We will enjoy the atmosphere at the stadium.

"Everyone knows the [atmosphere] pretty well now because the team has many Spanish players, but I was impressed when I [first] saw the crowd and how the players touched their club’s crest as they took the pitch.

“I think their crowd plays an important role. The team is dangerous from set pieces and the fans cheer for a corner kick as loud as for a goal.

"Their support in the last five minutes is also significant. The team makes excellent use of their supporters."

Fitness Test For Fernando Torres But Yossi Benayoun Out

Fernando Torres faces a make-or-break fitness test today for the match that will define the remainder of Liverpool’s season.

But Bernabeu match-winner Yossi Benayoun has handed a fresh injury headache to Anfield manager Rafael Benitez.

Torres has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury that forced him off during the 1-0 win over Real Madrid in their Champions League first knockout round first leg a fortnight ago.

Both the player and his manager expressed their confidence last week that the striker, who has undergone an intense rehabilitation programme, will line up against Real in tomorrow night’s Anfield return match.

But Benitez will only make a decision later today after putting Torres through his paces at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground.

The situation is similar to that of Steven Gerrard before the first leg in Madrid, with the skipper eventually only fit enough to appear for the closing moments of Liverpool’s win.

With Liverpool having fallen seven points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United, the Champions League once again seems the more likely route to silverware this season.

But one player definitely absent tomorrow is Benayoun, who is facing at least a fortnight on the sidelines after a training ground accident.

The Israeli international headed a famous winner at the Bernabeu but suffered what Liverpool fear is a hamstring tear after colliding with a team-mate during training.

Benayoun will undergo a scan on the damage today, and if the initial diagnosis is correct he will also miss Saturday’s visit to Old Trafford – a game that Liverpool must win to keep alive their faint title hopes – and could be a major doubt for the following weekend’s home game with Aston Villa.

The injury is a major blow to Benayoun, who has become an influential player for Benitez in recent weeks and was also on the scoresheet in last Wednesday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland.

Benitez is also sweating on the fitness of right-back Alvaro Arbeloa, who has also not played since appearing at the Bernabeu.

The Spanish defender returned to light training yesterday and has an outside chance of being available.

However, fellow defender Daniel Agger is unlikely to be fit as he recovers from a back problem.

Liverpool Must Build On Advantage, Says Benitez

A crunch week for Liverpool starts with the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid at Anfield on Tuesday.

The match is the first of a double-header that can make or break Liverpool's season -- and possibly go some way towards deciding whether manager Rafa Benitez remains at the club.

After playing Real, Liverpool make the short trip to Old Trafford on Saturday where anything other than a victory over leaders Manchester United will effectively end their already faint hopes of winning the Premier League.

"It is very important to approach this (Real) game thinking we have to win it and not think about any other result," said Benitez, whose side holds a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Madrid.

"What you must not do is think we are already there and it will be easy," the Spaniard told reporters.

"Clearly, Real Madrid are a very good team. They are doing well in the Spanish league. We won in the Bernabeu, which was very pleasing, but it's important we finish the job at Anfield."

Liverpool's inconsistency and poor home form has been their downfall since Christmas when they led the Premier League and seemed to be on course for their first championship since 1990.

While a draw against Real would be enough to see them through to the quarter-finals, Benitez also knows that Real are unlikely to be as sluggish as they were in Madrid.

With Steven Gerrard not yet back to his best after injury, and Fernando Torres also struggling for full fitness, Benitez will be relying on Javier Mascherano, Yossi Benayoun, the scorer in Madrid, and Dirk Kuyt for some impressive performances.

Real must put the disappointment behind them of having their 10-match Primera Liga winning streak ended in a 1-1 draw at home against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

"The match against Liverpool will be like a final," coach Juande Ramos said after Saturday's clash at the Bernabeu.

"It's going to be a difficult and passionate encounter and the players are massively fired up so they can give the fans something to cheer about."

Real were missing suspended central defender Pepe against Atletico and the champions looked shaky at the back without him as the visitors created a host of chances.

The Portuguese international's defensive partner, Fabio Cannavaro, said Real were lucky to come away with a point and called for immediate improvement.

"We have to get our shape back and quickly as we cannot fail against Liverpool," the Italian World Cup-winning captain told reporters. "We have to play as a team and quickly forget the Atletico match."

Liverpool Hoping For Another European Favour From De Bleeckere

Frank de Bleeckere returns to Anfield on Tuesday 13 months after what most considered a very harsh red card shown to former Everton defender Marco Materazzi helped Liverpool beat Inter Milan 2-0.

The Belgian official will referee the Champions League tie against Real Madrid and if Liverpool enjoy the benefit of another generous decision by De Bleeckere, the Spanish champions' task of pulling back a 1-0 first-leg deficit will surely be mission impossible.

Materazzi was shown his first yellow card for an innocuous looking clip of Fernando Torres’ heels as the Spaniard ran across his path down the right wing.

On the half-hour De Bleeckere showed the Italy international a second yellow card for another minimal-contact foul on Torres.

While a former Everton player who has left his mark, literally, on forwards around Europe would not normally expect sympathy from Liverpool fans, Anfield was stunned at his red card for two offences that many believed did not even warrant free-kicks.

Rafa Expects Ngog To Shine

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has backed teenage striker David Ngog to be a success at Anfield for years to come.

The 19-year-old marked his first league start for the club since joining from PSG last summer with a goal in Tuesday's 2-0 win at home to Sunderland.

The French ace put in an assured display and had the confidence to entertain the home crowd with his trickery at certain parts in the win.

With Robbie Keane returning to Tottenham in the transfer window, and fellow striker Fernando Torres sidelined with an ankle injury, Ngog could find more opportunities present themselves in the second half of the season.

"I am really pleased because he is training very well, working really hard and showing his quality," Benitez told the club's official website.

"To see him playing in this game and scoring his first league goal is good for him and good for the team.

"All the players, especially the strikers, need to play well and score goals for the confidence, so I think the goal will be important for his future.

"He showed the fans that he can do really good things.

"He worked very hard and did good things in attack, good passes and tricks. I'm very pleased for him.

"The first year in the Premier League is always difficult, but even more so for a young player coming from France because it is more physical here.

"But he's learning and improving every day. He has got the potential to be a very good player for us.

"If he keeps working and improving as he is now, he can be an important player for Liverpool."

Arbeloa: Liverpool Have Gifted The Title To United

Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa fears his team have handed the Premier League title on a plate to arch rivals Manchester United.

United have gone seven points clear at the top of the table and are in pole position to retain their Premier League crown.

Injuries to key players such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have affected Liverpool and they have failed to show any consistency in recent months.

The Merseysiders suffered a massive blow last weekend when they crashed to a 2-0 defeat against Middlesbrough and Arbeloa feels it will be an uphill task for them to win the league.

Arbeloa said: "The challenge to win the league is not lost, but every time it is getting more difficult for us. To give so many points to Manchester United and we still have to play at Old Trafford is very dangerous.

"We are not going to give in and will continue to challenge until the very last moment.

"It is not true that we are focusing all our attentions on the Champions League. In the dressing room we have a great desire to win the Premier League and we have just had some bad results in the last month that has damaged us.

"Manchester United are not showing any weaknesses and we all thought there would come a time where they would slip up, but that has not happened.

"And our injuries have damaged us a lot since January."

The Crunchy Nut Gossip

The Daily Mirror reports that Rafa Benitez is looking to further make his mark on how things are done at Anfield by shaking up the Liverpool management team.

The paper claims that he wants to bring back Frank McParland, who left Anfield back in 2007 to join Sammy Lee at Bolton, and install him in a director of football style position.

According to The Daily Mirror, McParland would take over some of Rick Parry's duties when the current chief executive clears out his desk in the summer, such as negotiating signings and new contracts, etc and so on.

McParland is currently out of work after leaving a similar post at Watford last year.

Rafa Plays High Stakes Game

The future of Liverpool football club will not be decided by anything that happens in Liverpool or Manchester this week. Liverpool and Rafael Benitez's future may be decided in a Kuwaiti boardroom, where Tom Hicks and George Gillett -- the unacceptable faces of deregulated capitalism -- are trying to sell the club.

In the meantime, Liverpool have a trying week on the field in a season which will most probably require a European Cup not to be considered another year of squandered opportunity.

Like Arsenal last season, Liverpool have discovered that they are not equipped to compete with Manchester United and Chelsea over the course of the season. They can attempt to be clever and try to outwit the monoliths of English football but they will almost always be undone by economies of scale.

Arsenal appeared to demonstrate brittleness collectively, while Benitez seems to have undermined his side's season with his attack on Alex Ferguson and the dispute over his contract. Both teams ultimately were undone by forces they cannot compete with; in recent years, the ceaseless ferocity of Ferguson and his desire to compete financially with and triumph over the club that changed everything, Chelsea. Because of Chelsea, English football scours the world for billionaires at a time when they are in short supply. Liverpool were late to the party and last in, first out.

Supporters will point to other factors and blame the manager. Benitez's achievement in challenging United will be overlooked, instead he will be criticised for the attack on Ferguson and the delays with his contract. It is debatable if either of these factors have derailed Liverpool, even if the caution of the manager has cost important points.

The Liverpool players, too, may not be as concerned by Benitez's contract talks as some would suggest. Fernando Torres last week indicated he would stay at the club for the duration of his contract even if Benitez leaves, but it is the rumoured disagreement with Jamie Carragher which may prove a more important indicator of the players' feelings.

Carragher was asked to play right-back at Middlesbrough last Saturday but complained about a weariness which he felt would prevent him performing in the full-back position.

He did not refuse to play in that position as some suggested, but his tiredness may point to a more general disenchantment. When Carragher complained of "heavy legs", Benitez then took the decision to select the awkward Martin Skrtel on the right at the Riverside and Liverpool's title hopes were over. On Wednesday, Javier Mascherano was selected at full-back against Sunderland, so Carragher's exhaustion continues.

Carragher has never been a doe-eyed follower of the manager and his comments in his autobiography on some of Benitez's signings show he is not afraid to question his judgement but he is the player who has been viewed as the closest to Benitez.

The reality is different as no player can be said to be close to Benitez, but even the appearance of such a relationship indicates his importance to the manager. For Carragher to be now finding reasons not to play in a certain position cannot have pleased the manager and it indicates a greater frustration on Carragher's part that the Premier League title he believed Liverpool would challenge for this season has petered out before the key game at Old Trafford next Saturday.

Liverpool, instead, will fall back on a familiar, magical consolation. Real Madrid arrive on Merseyside tomorrow again predicting victory, but the only thing that can stop Liverpool advancing to the quarter-finals for the fourth time under Benitez is complacency and the assumption that the job was done at the Bernabeu.

Benitez, too, will be required to be bold. At his best -- and sometimes his worst -- he is more of a gambler than his reputation suggests but a 1-0 lead may tempt him to play for a scoreless draw as he did two years ago when Liverpool returned from the Nou Camp with a 2-1 lead. On that night, the gamble almost backfired and Liverpool had a tense evening, losing 1-0 at Anfield and going through on away goals.

Benitez's approach on Tuesday will give an indication of his state of mind. If he attacks a terrible Madrid defence and looks for the goal that would secure the tie, then he is as eager to try the unexpected as he was during his early years at Anfield. But those who wonder if Benitez's caution and unwillingness to bend have crossed the line into unworkable parody will be looking for signs in Liverpool's tactics that the manager is entering a bunker.

Some would say that with Benitez it was always hard to tell but in recent weeks, in the stuttering performances and off-field politicking, there have been signs of a man who feels he is running out of options.

On the field, he has done well with a squad which again demonstrates his general excellence in the transfer market.

Some regarded it as a victory when Rick Parry announced he would be leaving the club in the summer but Benitez does not see the departure of the man who contributed to Liverpool's failure to sign some of Europe's best players as an issue that has anything to do with his contract. In fact, it has been hard to see what Benitez does want. His contract talks now resemble the Northern Ireland peace process: whenever a satisfactory answer is given, the question changes.

His last months in Valencia were dominated by the same disagreements and the same suggestions that there were no longer effective working relationships. Despite, or maybe because of, the comic ownership of Hicks and Gillett, Benitez has now received nearly every assurance he wanted. Now he is believed to want some guarantees when new owners arrive or the club is remaindered, whichever happens first.

They cannot be given, quite understandably, and Benitez needs to accept that. He is a coach who gives the impression that he feels he can control everything, but he cannot dictate terms to potential owners.

He can, however, make his position secure by winning the European Cup. Benitez is right to suggest that Liverpool's season would have been different if Torres had been fit and he will hope that the player can rediscover some sharpness in the remaining weeks, although he has rarely looked sharp all season. Torres is clearly troubled by his hamstrings and refuses to beat defenders on his left side as he did to such effect last season, most notably when scoring his first Liverpool goal against Chelsea.

For a man who likes to control things, Benitez is now dependent on hope. He will anticipate Torres being fit for the Madrid game and remaining so for the match at Old Trafford, in which Liverpool will have no option but to gamble.

Yossi Benayoun gave an insight into the manager last week which would have surprised nobody. After the game at the Bernabeu, the players celebrated while Benitez stayed calm. He never congratulating the player on his goal and instead began to think about the next challenge. As that was the defeat at the Riverside, perhaps he would have been better off behaving like Ron Atkinson.

Benitez's methods are relentless but the players may be reaching a point where they require something more. Robbie Keane could never come to terms with the fact that Benitez's management was based on tough love, without the love, and others have struggled too. Yet he has been a force for good at Liverpool, a manager prepared to challenge in his flawed way the orthodoxies of English football. He has also battled for the club at a time when Liverpool itself is in peril.

Real Madrid have again shown in the days since the first leg that they remain more expert at trash talk than convincing football. Despite looking to close the gap on Barcelona last night, they were prepared to rest players in preparation for the second leg. "Anfield is life and death," Juande Ramos said, unintentionally echoing the most misquoted line in football history.

Liverpool are playing for high stakes too. Their season, for all its promise, is now on a familiar curve. It may be hard to tell this week, but for Benitez and Liverpool, at Anfield, Old Trafford and in Kuwait, it will be win or bust.