Europa League: Liverpool, Spurs target knockout berths

Both teams enter competition with resounding 4-1 wins over the weekend

PARIS: Liverpool can clinch their place in the last-32 of the Europa League with victory over Bordeaux at Anfield on Thursday.

The Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool is still in its infancy but the German’s arrival is already helping transform the Reds, who thumped erstwhile Premier League leaders Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

“I would love to win a game like this at Anfield. That’s our next challenge,” said Klopp, having seen his side down champions Chelsea and City in successive away games.

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Bordeaux are third in Group B, three points behind Liverpool, but their record in England makes for bleak reading with five defeats in five visits and no goals scored.

Spurs eye win to progress

The timing of Thursday’s trip to Azerbaijan is not ideal for Mauricio Pochettino’s side with the visit of Chelsea just three days later.

However, Tottenham can wrap up qualification for the knockout phase with a win against Group J rivals Qarabag, although the Azerbaijani champions are unbeaten at home in Europe this term.

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Conversely, Spurs have struggled on their travels and are without a win in four European away games, but confidence is high after a 4-1 demolition of West Ham over the weekend which saw England striker Harry Kane net twice to continue his red-hot goalscoring form.

Celtic, Ajax hanging by the balance

Neither Celtic nor Ajax can afford a false step when they meet in Glasgow as both bid to overhaul Fenerbahce for second place in Group A.

Successive defeats have left Celtic three points adrift of the Turks with Ajax just one point better off and a draw would see both sides eliminated if Fenerbahce beat already-qualified Molde.

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Celtic have gone nine games in this competition without a win — three short of the record — and defender Dedryck Boyata knows there’s no more margin for error.

“It’s a really important game,” said Boyata. “Our last two games in [Europe] were disappointing... we didn’t manage to be as good as we usually are. [Now] we need to be at our best.”

Meanwhile, Swiss champions Basel can claim their place in the next round by completing the double over Fiorentina and former coach Paulo Sousa at St Jakob-Park, while Sporting Lisbon travel to Lokomotiv Moscow, looking for nothing than a win to keep their last-32 hopes alive.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2015.

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