Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
This tie is very much in the balance after last Thursday’s 1st Leg and with Liverpool coming back with a crucial away goal they have the slight advantage going into Tonight’s encounter at Anfield. A 0-0 draw would be enough for Jurgen Klopp to mastermind victory over his former side and competition favourites but have Liverpool got a resolute enough Defence to withhold the attacking threat from Dortmund.
A host of key players were rested on Sunday as Liverpool cruised to victory at home to Stoke to keep an outside chance of qualifying for next season’s Europa League alive. Although if they can go all the way and win this season’s edition of the competition then they find themselves with a backdoor route to next season’s Champions League.
Therefore does Klopp go all out in the Europa League, would not winning it and say finishing 8th be better than 6th as then it would give them a much easier assault on the Top 4 next time around. An interesting dilemma for Klopp but not one he needs to worry about until at least the end of the evening.
Their opponents Dortmund also rested key players at the weekend in preparation for this tie, but found themselves held to a draw with local rivals Schalke. A draw that all but ends their title hopes this season. They are now 7 points behind and would now need Bayern to have an almighty collapse in their last 5 games for them to claw that gap back
So with Champions League football all but assured in terms of their league places, they will want to end the season with European Honours and their full focus will be on Tonight’s clash. They are going to have to score Tonight to have any chance of progressing and have more than enough attacking talent at their disposal for this to happen.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was kept quiet in the first leg but last time he was on English soil he ended Spurs Europa League dreams and will no doubt be looking to do more of the same when he sets foot on the hallowed Anfield turf this Evening.
I have a feeling that the score will match that of the 1st leg and therefore the game will go to at least Extra Time. As for who takes it from there is anyone’s guess but I think we could be in for a treat Tonight, but will it be one of those European nights at Anfield. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Papa Johns – If your team scores twice then it’s half price
