Liverpool FC
Vs
FC Sion
Anfield, Liverpool
8:00 PM GMT, 1st Oct 2015
Liverpool FC are hoping to get their Europa League home campaign off to a good start by beating Swiss side FC Sion on Thursday night.
The Reds finally ended their 6 game win-less run when they beat Aston Villa 3-2. The match saw two wonderful goals from forward Daniel Sturridge, who will be rested for tonight’s game.
FC Sion come in the game having taken all three points against Rubin Kazan. They, however, have lost their two other Swiss league game since and have slipped to 5th place, 4 points behind 4th place side Luzern.
Liverpool FC Team News & Tactics
Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers is expected to rest a few players with one eye on the weekend’s Merseyside derby.
Captain Jordan Henderson, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Dejan Lovren all remain sidelined with injuries, while Daniel Sturridge, Mahamadou Sakho, Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Leiva and James Milner are expected to be rested.
Liverpool FC are expected to field a 5-2-2-1 with Adam Bogdan in goal, Joe Gomez, Kolo Toure, Emre Can, Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel in defence. Joe Allen and Jordan Rossiter are expected to line-up in midfield with Adam Lallana, Jordon Ibe alongside Divock Origi are expected to lead the line.
Liverpool FC Predicted XI: Bogdan, Toure, Gomez, Can, Clyne, Skrtel, Allen, Rossiter, Lallana, Ibe, Origi
FC Sion Team News & Tactics
Sion come in the game not in the best of the form, having lost their last two games in the league. The Swiss side, however, can go top of the group with a win at Anfield.
The Swiss side are expected to line-up in their preferred 4-1-4-1 formation with goalkeeper Vanins between the sticks, and Zverotic, Cichero, Ziegler, Vanczak in defence.
Sion’s midfield will be consisting of Ndoye, Carlitos, Bia, Salatic and Rufli. They will hope to curtail any attacking moves Liverpool FC’s midfield makes, with Konate the lone forward hoping to scrape for anything that falls his way in a game where not much is expected of him.
Sion Predicted XI: Vanins, Zverotic, Cichero, Ziegler, Vanczak, Ndoye, Carlitos, Bia, Salatic, Rufli, Konate
.
Man to watch: Jordon Ibe
Ibe has not had the best of the start to the new season, despite impressive showing in the pre-season. Much was expected of Ibe this season after his storming end to the last season and the departure of Sterling. However, his performance has not been anywhere close to the heights that will fill the supporters with confidence about replacing the quality Sterling bought to the XI.
The game against FC Sion represents a good chance for Ibe to regain his self-confidence, which does appear to have taken a hit following the poor form and him being dropped from the XI. Expect him to be fired up and take the game by the scruff of the neck to stake a claim for the first team spot.
Match Facts:
- Liverpool FC’s last game against Swiss opposition was in Champions League group stage last year against FC Basel, where they lost 1-0 and drew 1-1 at Anfield.
- The defeat to Basel is the Reds’ only defeat in their last 11 meetings with Swiss sides in Europe (W6 D4).
- Sion have shipped 20 goals in their last five away games in the UEFA Cup, losing on each occasion.
- The Reds have won four of their last seven home European games at Anfield. The sides to take points off them in that run are Real Madrid (Liverpool lost 3-0) and two Swiss teams (Basel 1-1 and Young Boys 2-2).
- Moussa Konate scored both of Sion’s goals versus Rubin Kazan in the 2-1 win.
Prediction:
Liverpool FC 3-0 FC Sion
Liverpool FC will have some of their key players unavailable, but, expect them to still come away with all three points in convincing manner against a side that is 5th in the Swiss league among the 10 teams competing. Liverpool FC fans will expect nothing less, anyways.
