Liverpool v Basel live here

Brendan Rodgers reaffirms Gerrard’s importance to Liverpool squad
Steven Gerrard has to inspire Liverpool to victory Reuters

Liverpool host Basel at Anfield on Tuesday in a must win affair for the Merseyside club in a bid to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7:45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be available on ITV and ITV HD.

Overview

Liverpool have to put their best foot forward against Basel if they have to keep their hopes alive of making it to the knockout stages after a five year hiatus. The Reds have waited a long time for this opportunity and throwing it away, having come so close, would be an insult to the fans who have supported them through thick and thin.

Brendan Rodgers has urged Steven Gerrard to inspire his team and stage a comeback, reminiscent of what they achieved in Istanbul in 2005, when they came back from a 3-0 deficit at half-time against AC Milan to take the game to extra time and secure their fifth European title.

It will be a tall order for the Merseyside club, who have won only once in the group stages thus far, dating back to the first fixture at Anfield against Ludogorets. Their league form has also left much to be desired, drawing against Sunderland in their last game and currently lagging fourth placed Manchester United by four points.

Meanwhile, Basel have gone from strength to strength after taking Real Madrid to the edge in their last game and have secured back to back wins over FC Zurich and Lucerne, extending their lead at the top of the Swiss table to eight points.

Basel have already gotten the better of Liverpool once this campaign and need only a draw to secure qualification into the next round. They will fancy their chances against an under-confident and dilapidated Liverpool side, who are missing their first choice strikers Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli.

FC Basel's Mohamed Elneny (L) fights for the ball with Maccabi Tel Aviv's Maharan Radi
FC Basel's Mohamed Elneny (L) fights for the ball with Maccabi Tel Aviv's Maharan Radi Reuters

What Managers Say

Brendan Rodgers: "He was excellent when he came on and, of course, he plays on Tuesday night. Stevie coming onto the field gives us the world-class quality that the team needs and I thought he was brilliant when he came on [against Sunderland]. It can't be up to him every single game to be the catalyst but it's very hard to replace that quality. He's still got that talent, he's got world-class ability and, at this stage of his career, it's about me managing that, along with him, in order to play in the big games."

Paulo Sousa: "If we can make it through, we will be delighted," the 44-year-old said. "That was the target for us in the first place, and we knew how difficult that would be, but we are just one game from making it a reality. I respect Brendan, and the job he has done for Swansea and Liverpool, but on Tuesday we will focus on getting what we need to qualify."

Betting Odds

  • Liverpool win: 13/17
  • Draw: 11/4
  • Basel Win: 19/5

Team Guide

Liverpool

  • Last Five (all competitions): L D W W D
  • Last Result: Liverpool 0-0 Sunderland

Basel

  • Last Five (all competitions): W W L W W
  • Last Result: Luzern 0-3 Basel

Team News

Liverpool

  • Injured: Sturridge (thigh), Balotelli (hamstring),
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Possible XI: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Lucas, Gerrard; Lallana, Lambert, Coutinho

Basel

  • Injured: Sio (knee), Ivanov (knee)
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Possible XI: Vaclik; Degen, Samuel, Schar, Xhaka; Aliji, Delgado, Calla, Ahmed; Streller, El Nenny

Liverpool FC