Source: Telegraph
Champions League: Liverpool and Barcelona on the brink
Another difficult weekend in the Premier League for Liverpool then. They'll be happy it's a Champions League week, eh?[LNB]Maybe, maybe not. Under Rafa Benítez Europe has usually been a refuge from any domestic troubles but it could all be over by Tuesday night. [LNB] Related ArticlesFernando Torres exclusiveHenry handed hard timeLiverpool face winter of woeRaids after '200 games fixed'Thierry Henry 'felt like quitting'Neville urges players to take back controlHow so?[LNB]Liverpool are third in their group and have to win against Debrecen in Hungary. Which shouldn't be too much trouble seeing as Debrecen haven't won a single point on their debut in the group stages and have conceded 14 goals in four matches. [LNB]No problem there then. [LNB]But there is. Trailing Fiorentina by five points, and already qualified Lyon by six, Liverpool need Lyon to do them a favour and get at least a draw in Florence or Liverpool will be consigned to the Europa League no matter their remaining results. [LNB]Will that happen?[LNB]Lyon have proved themselves the strongest team in the group and beat Fiorentina 1-0 in France. Victory would secure them top spot and seeding for the next round but Liverpool know themselves how hard it is to get a result in Italy, especially if Lyon relax after bookign their place in the next round already. [LNB]Not qualifying for the knock out stage would be embarrassing for Liverpool, no?[LNB]Yes. But they are not the only big name in trouble. Barcelona are third in their group after gaining only a point from their two games against Russian Champions Rubin Kazan. [LNB]Barcelona in trouble too. Has the Champions League group stage suddenly got interesting? [LNB]Looks that way. Group F is the tightest of them all. Inter lead it with six points, the bottom club, Dynamo kiev have four while Barcelona and Rubin Kazan are level on five points. Barcelona play Inter in the Nou Camp on tuesday knowing that defeat coupled with a victory for the Russians at home to Kiev will leave them in the unseemly position for playing the Ukrainians on the final day for a place in the Europa League. And in Kiev, too. [LNB]Barcelona will beat Inter at home though, won't they? They're the European Champions after all.[LNB]Yes they are. But they are having a dog of a run in the competition and have only won two games in eight one of those wins being the final last year of course. Inter are no better, mind. They've only won one in their last nine. Kazan will be favourites in their home match tonight so it will be very nervy in Spain. Victory for Barcelona will put them in a strong position but regardless this group is going down to the wire. [LNB]But they've got Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic...[LNB]Not for this match they haven't. Both Messi and Ibrahimovic are out injured, the Argentine pulling a muscle in his thigh during Barcelona's draw with Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. A bout of swine flu has also swept the Barcelona squad laying low Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure. Rafael Marquez is the latest to be suspected of picking up the bug. [LNB]Squeaky bum time then for the big boys. Surely not Arsenal too they had a gimme of a group.[LNB]They did. But their toughest game of the group comes up last with a trip to Olympiakos not great travellers but a different proposition at home. Tonight they host Standard Liege knowing victory will see them qualify as group winners. A draw will see them qualify but a defeat by two clear goals would put them in real peril. [LNB]That's not going to happen though, is it?[LNB]Unlikely seeing as they gave Liege a two goal start when they met last time and still ran out 3-2 winners. [LNB]And what about Rangers' group?[LNB]It doesn't look good but despite being bottom with just two points so far all is not lost for Rangers as long as Sevilla, the runaway group leaders, don't take their foot off the gas this week. [LNB]You're saying Rangers could still qualify?[LNB]It's possible, if unlikely. Rangers host Stuttgart tonight and should they win and Sevilla beat Unirea Urziceni, they will be level on points with the second placed Romanians going in to the final round of matches. [LNB]That doesn't sound too improbable…[LNB]The next bit does. Rangers would need then to beat Sevilla, in Spain, and hope Unirea don't beat Stuttgart, or draw with Sevilla and hope Stuttgart beat the Romanians. [LNB]Ah, starts to get a bit complicated there.[LNB]Yes. And getting a result in Seville is a big ask. More realistically Rangers still need to win tonight to go ahead of Stuttgart in the race for the Europa League place. Lose at Ibrox tonight and they are out of Europe altogether. [LNB]
