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Champions League
Reuters

Liverpool travel to Switzerland to take on FC Basel second group stage Champions League fixture on Wednesday evening.

Where to Watch

The kick-off is set for 7:45pm BST. Live coverage of the match will be available on Sky Sports 5 and Sky Sports 5 HD.

Overview

FC Basel will be hoping to open their Champions League account this evening when they host Liverpool in the second group game. They had a nightmarish start to the campaign when they were taken apart 5-1 by the reigning European Champions Real Madrid in their opening fixture.

However, the Swiss side will come into this game in a confident mood, as they have a good record against English teams, having beaten Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United in recent seasons. Paulo Sousa will be hoping his team take advantage of Liverpool, who are currently struggling to get up and running in their domestic campaign.

Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling Reuters

Meanwhile, Liverpool are coming on the back of a draw in the Merseyside Derby at the weekend -- a game they could have very well won. The Reds are currently struggling on both ends of the pitch, with striker Mario Balotelli firing blanks despite numerous chances and the defence has failed when it comes to keeping clean sheets on a consistent basis.

Brendan Rodgers will again be without Daniel Sturridge, who has failed to recover and will have to rely on the misfiring Balotelli to lead the line. The Anfield club will have Lazar Markovic back, after the Serbian served his one-match ban in the previous fixture.

Liverpool and captain Steven Gerrard do not have happy memories of Basel, as they were dumped out of the competition by the Swiss club during their last visit in 2002.

What Managers Say

Paulo Sousa: "We need to be successful domestically, but we also want to compete in European football so that we can have the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool here on a regular basis. After that, the target is to beat them and to reach the knockout stages. If we can do that this season then great, but it is early days."

Brendan Rodgers [on Steven Gerrard's influence]: "He is calm and, whether it is a Champions League game or a league match, his focus is very much the same. Even here, where the atmosphere is good and you need a calm head to dictate the tempo, there are not many better in world football."

Betting Odds (888Sport.com)

  • FC Basel to win: 45/17
  • Draw: 13/5
  • Liverpool to win: 20/19

Team News

FC Basel

  • Injured: Phillip Degen
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: Marcelo Diaz

Possible XI: Vaclik; Safari, Suchy, Schar; Schar, Aliji, Gashy, Serey Die, El Nenny, Streller, Gonzalez

Liverpool

  • Injured: Glen Johnson, Emre Can, Joe Allen, Daniel Sturridge
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Possible XI: Mignolet; Manquillo, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno; Gerrard, Henderson; Sterling, Lallana, Coutinho; Balotelli

Liverpool FC Brendan Rodgers