EUROPA LEAGUE: LILLE METROPOLE, THURSDAY MARCH 11, 2010: KICK-OFF 1800 GMT
LIVERPOOL:
With criticism from fans still ringing in his ears 48 hours after the dismal defeat at Wigan, Rafa Benitez was doing his best to sound upbeat ahead of his side's tough European test.
"In football sometimes you prefer to have some time to rest, but now I think it is better to play games quickly," said the Liverpool manager before boarding the team plane to France ahead of this Europa League last 16 first leg tie.
Not for the first time, Benitez finds his Anfield reign under intense scrutiny. The defeat at lowly Wigan has given Tottenham, Man City and Aston Villa a clear advantage over Liverpool in the race to finish fourth in the table and secure a place in next season's Champions League.
A heavy defeat away to Lille, on the back of Monday's woeful performance at the DW Stadium, will only increase the pressure on Benitez.
Within minutes of confirmation of Liverpool's first ever defeat to Wigan, fans queued to voice their frustration on national and local radio stations at Benitez's tactics.
Despite having Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres fit, Liverpool find themselves in a similar position they were in last October.
After defeat at Sunderland, Benitez's side lined-up against French opposition in Europe - and subsequently lost at home to Lyon on their way to early elimination from the Champions League.
"It was a surprise the other day, but hopefully it was just a blip and we will see the real Liverpool on Thursday," said Benitez, trying his best to sound optimistic.
"It is very clear this is an opportunity for us to do things right, try to get a good result and be ready for the next game."
Strategy: Benitez's tactics were criticised at Wigan and they will be under intense examination at Lille. Gerrard, the captain, played in a role deemed too deep at the DW Stadium. The England midfielder will certainly be hoping for a better night this time as will Torres. While it is good to see the Spanish striker back on the pitch after his injury problems, the Wigan game highlighted the fact he is not yet firing on all cylinders.
Some of Liverpool's best performances this season have come when they have found themselves under pressure. The 2-0 win over Manchester United in October came after successive defeats to Fiorentina, Chelsea, Sunderland and Lyon. After the Wigan debacle, Benitez knows victory against Lille is a must to silence the doubters
Injury Update: Yossi Benayoun is rated doubtful after damaging an ankle at Wigan. However, Daniel Agger is pushing for a return to the defence after recovering from a sickness bug which ruled him out at the start of the week. And Glen Johnson is also pushing for a start after his 35 minute substitute appearance at the DW Stadium, his first senior outing since suffering a serious knee injury at the end of December.
LILLE:
Sitting fifth in Ligue 1, four points behind leaders Bordeaux, Rudi Garcia's team overcame Fenerbahce 3-2 on aggregate in the last round having finished second behind Valencia in the group stages. Having played more games than their title rivals, last weekend's disappointing 1-1 draw away at lowly St Etienne all but ended their hopes of being crowned champions, Stephane Dumont scoring for Lille.
Garcia is in his second season at the club and led them to a fifth place finish last term. He was reinstated after being sacked prior to the start of this season. Ivory Coast striker Yao Gervinho and Frenchman Pierre Alain Frau will be looking to punish Liverpool. The pair have contributed 21 league goals between them this season.
Lille have lost just one of their last 16 European home fixtures, a 1-0 defeat by Manchester United in the 2006-07 Champions League first knockout round.
