Liverpool Host Besiktas In Europa League Last-32

Anfield plays host to Liverpool`s first Europa League match of the season tonight (20:05), the Merseyside club having been transferred from the Champions League after a torrid time in that competition. Despite failing to recover from a slow start in that tournament, Brendan Rodgers men have managed to put together a sequence of positive results in the Premier League that has seen them shoot to seventh place. They are currently nine matches without a defeat in that competition.

Their opponents tonight are Besiktas who top the Turkish Super Lig by a mere point after 20 games. Slaven Bilic`s men have picked up the maximum of 12 points in their last four games to ensure that they put the pressure on second placed Fenerbahce. The Super Lig looks to be a three horse race, however, with galatasaray still in with a fighting chance of the championship, just two points off the top of the tree.

Despite Besiktas performing well in their domestic league, they are the outsiders for their visit to England. Both bet365 and betfair have the best price of 13/2 on a victory for the Turkish club at Anfield. In contrast, a whole host of bookmakers have installed the home side as the 4/7 favourites to take the advantage in this first leg whilst a draw can be backed at 16/5 with betfair, Betvictor, boylesports and Skybet.

This match marks Liverpool`s first appearance in the Europa League since the 2010-11 season when they were knocked out in the last-16. Similarly, Besiktas also failed to appear in the competition last season but have reached the last-32 in both 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

To improve on this record, they will have to surpass a Reds side who managed to score five goals in their Champions League group. Liverpool finished third in Group B with five points, 13 behind league leaders Real Madrid and two off runners-up Basel. Small Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad finished dead last, having picked up only four points from their six games.

Out-going captain Steven Gerrard was responsible for two of the five goals Liverpool bagged in their short time in the Champions League. Eleven-to-four, this best price available at a number of bookmakers, says that the MLS-bound player can add to his tally at any time tonight.

Four of the Reds five goals came from English players, Gerrard`s two complemented by those from Ricky Lambert and Jordan Henderson. The shortest price Englishman to hit the back of the net tonight is Daniel Sturridge who is best priced at 13/10 at Bwin.

Liverpool failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their six games though evens (Numerous) says the Scousers will not concede tonight. A win to nil for Rodgers` men can be picked up at odds of 16/11 at Bwin.

Perhaps the biggest danger to the Reds` defence is former Chelsea man Demba Ba who netted five times for his club in their six group games. He opened the scoring on two occasions and he is 9/1 (bet365, Betvictor, Bwin, paddy Power) to break the deadlock tonight.

The 29-year-old Senegalese star has already grabbed one brace in this competition this season, this was against Partizan Belgrade in their 2-1 victory at home. He is available at 33/1 with paddy Power to contribute another two or more goals in this evening`s fixture. Besiktas progressed through to the knockout stage of this competition by topping Europa League Group C. They finished one point clear of Tottenham, who also progressed, whilst Partizan and Greek side Asteras Tripoli were knocked out.

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19/02/2015     © Frixo 2026