There was hope that the scene at Anfield for the final day showdown in the Champions League was going to be set for another Liverpool European miracle.

Liverpool have not had to look hard for trouble this season and their win in match day 5 was not enough to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Fiorentina managed to defeat French side Lyon at home; ensuring that all the places in the group have been fixed and Liverpool are consigned to the Europa League.

There could be dangerous financial consequences of this outcome for Liverpool with the club allegedly budgeting for Champions League knock-out progress. With this money not rolling in to the club, the noose around boss Rafa Benitez may have grown even tighter…although some experts believe the club will not be able to afford to sack the Spaniard.

The fans turning up at Anfield will be hoping for some cheer and a resounding send off for their Champions League whilst laying down a marker for Europa League success.

Elsewhere, Debrecen will be looking to earn their first point of the campaign but an away trip to Lyon is not the place to think a point is likely. There have been strange results in the Champions League this season so it is not out of the question but it is a very hard task.

If you are watching the Wednesday night games on the multi-screen option, Group E is not one that will be of great interest.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Rafa Benitez knows what he is doing. By rights, many within the club should be thinking of calling for his head but given the current financial state of the club, can they afford to sack him?

He has a contract to run and it just cant be ignored. Obviously he is not just going to resign so if the men in charge want a change; it is going to cost them cash. And filthy lucre is one thing that Liverpool don’t have at the moment.

The injury list has been pretty horrific but if you are going to act like Rafa Benitez and waste a lot of money on squad players and players lacking in sufficient quality then injuries will bite you on the bum.

For all that Benitez has spent in charge of the Scouse reds; they are still a two man team.

Without Torres and Gerrard, they are ordinary with even one of these two missing causing a huge deficit in the team.

Liverpool did what they had to do tonight. A 1-0 win in Hungary over Debrecen was the minimum they could do but the result in Italy went against them.
Lyon would have felt it was better to eliminate Liverpool, so it was no surprise to see Fiorentina triumph 1-0 to knock the Scousers out of the Champions League into the Europa League.

Liverpool will need to dust themselves off and there is no reason why they cant win the Europa Cup.

Whether Rafa Benitez is in charge will be an entirely different matter.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Jamie Carragher hasn’t quite came out and said that an exit from the Champions League will allow the team to focus on the league campaign but he has certainly danced around the subject.

Carragher said:

“We’re still focused and believe we can go through in the Champions League. If not, you move on.

“The club doesn’t die because you go out of the Champions League.”

Whilst Carragher is right to say that the club wont die if Liverpool finish out of the top two in their Group but the financial screws will be tightening at a lack of progress. Liverpool budget for serious progression every season in the Champions League and the amount of debt they are carrying gives the club little leeway.

This makes the failure of the Anfield side to stamp their authority this season really frustrating for all concerned at the club.

The fans will have expected progress from last year’s strong domestic and European showing whereas the board would have hoped for further income streams in order to make life a little more comfortable for them.

Neither have happened which is why Liverpool are at the stage where Jamie Carragher needs to come out and state that the Europa League is not a disaster.Frankly, for a club of Liverpool’s size and stature, it will be and will push boss Rafa Benitez even further towards the Anfield exit door.

With a Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park at the weekend to look forward to, its a tough week for Liverpool but they really need to keep their Champions League dreams alive tonight.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The action is hotting up in the Champions League and here are the fixtures for Match day 5:

Group E
Debrecen v Liverpool
Fiorentina v Lyon

Group F
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Rubin Kazan v Dynamo Kiev

Group G
Rangers v VfB Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni v Sevilla

Group H
Arsenal v Standard Liege
AZ Alkmaar v Olympiakos

For all you armchair fans, remember that the Rubin Kazan versus Dynamo Kiev match is the earlier kick-off, allowing you to catch two full games of Champions League action this evening.

All games (bar Rubin v Kiev) kick off at 1945 time in the UK, with the early kick-off starting at 1730.

Will Liverpool’s Champions League dream be extinguished in Hungary?

Will the Champions League holders stutter again, pushing them close to a exit?

Fid out tonight and check back with the Champions League site for analysis and after match reports.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Even though Liverpool are experiencing a poor run of form, a number of Liverpool fans are still strongly behind boss Rafa Benitez. The reason for this is not due to a genuine belief he will improve things but more about a remembrance of what he has pulled off in the past.

They say it is better to be lucky than good and the Champions League final of 2005 saw Liverpool being one of the luckiest team ever. If they are to make it to the knock-out stages of this years competition, they will need another slice of luck and good fortune.

To understand why that is the case, the fixtures for Match day 5 may help:

Debrecen v Liverpool
Fiorentina v Lyon

Lyon have already qualified, which means it is between Liverpool and Fiorentina for the other qualification place. Liverpool are away in Hungary to face Debrecen but even a ten goal victory may not be enough!

If Fiorentina can defeat Lyon in Italy, they will have booked their place in the last 16 knock-out round. Anything other than a home win will keep the Reds dream alive, as long as they win in Hungary.

Liverpool have to win both of their games which will place them on 10 points. They need to grab ten points to be in with a chance of qualifying but even then that may not be enough.

Assuming Liverpool win in Hungary, the following scenarios would play out:

Fiorentina beat Lyon – Fiorentina go top and qualify for the last 16. Liverpool go to Europa League

Fiorentina draw – reach ten points, the maximum Liverpool can get. Liverpool would need to beat Fiorentina by at least two clear goals at Anfield on Match Day 6 but realistically by at least 3.

Fiorentina lose to Lyon – Fiorentina remain on 9 points and any Liverpool victory on Match Day 6 sees them pip the Italians for the final place.

That is the Mathematics of it all and as Little Boots will tell you;

“Mathematics is a difficult thing, I never understood the missing link.”

Little Boots is one thing but Liverpool fans will be praying that the magical boots of Fernando Torres will bring them back from the Champions League brink.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.