Football: Liverpool ready for big-spending Anzhi

PARIS: Liverpool host big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala at Anfield in their Europa League Group A clash today with the English Premier league side seeking to avoid making unwanted history.

A 3-2 defeat to Udinese in Merseyside on match day two leaves Brendan Rodgers’ men staring at the possibility of consecutive home defeats in Europe for the first time in the club’s existence.

Anzhi, thanks to the financial backing from wealthy owner Suleyman Kerimov, have started to flex their muscles this season with Guus Hiddink guiding the Dagestan-based club to the top of the Russian Premier League.

Undefeated in eight European fixtures this season, they will pose a serious threat to a Liverpool side that only secured their first home league win of the campaign on Saturday. In other matches, Udinese play Young Boys while Newcastle are up against Club Brugge. Tottenham tackle minnows Maribor away from home.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2012.