Europa League: Besiktas wary of resurgent Liverpool

Reds embarrassed the Turkish outfit 8-0 in their last meeting in 2007

PARIS: After dropping out of the Champions League group stage, Liverpool take on Besiktas with the first leg at Anfield a repeat of their meeting in the Champions League in 2007, when Liverpool won 8-0, inflicting a record European defeat on the Turks.

Besiktas, coached by former Everton defender Slaven Bilic, come into this game on top of the Turkish league and buoyed by a 3-2 win against Bursaspor at the weekend, in which leading scorer Demba Ba netted a late penalty to secure the points.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is well aware of the threat that Ba poses. “Besiktas have good players, a good front four with Demba Ba at the top of it,” said Rodgers. “They have a team that is used to winning and making it hard for English sides.”

Liverpool must make do without Lazar Markovic, who has been given a four-match ban from European competition following his sending-off in the Reds' final Champions League group game against FC Basel in December.

Meanwhile, Everton will be hoping to once again produce their best form in Europe as they travel to Switzerland to take on Young Boys.

The Toffees have won just once in their last 11 matches but were impressive in the Europa League group stages, notably beating Wolfsburg home and away.

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg, who lie second in the Bundesliga, will fancy their chances against Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg taking place in Germany.

 

Celtic takes on Inter in most anticipated rematch

The hotly-anticipated rematch between old rivals Celtic and Inter in Glasgow tops the bill in the Europa League last 32, with the first legs to be played on Thursday evening.

The clubs famously met in the 1967 European Cup final in Lisbon, when Celtic triumphed 2-1 to become the first British club to be crowned champions of Europe.

Inter then gained a measure of revenge by winning on penalties when the sides clashed in the semi-finals of the same competition in 1972, and they have not met since.

Neither club is the force they once were, but there will still be a sell-out 60,000 crowd at Celtic Park as the Scottish champions look to record another memorable win against a Nerazzurri side now coached by Roberto Mancini.

"We will be judged after the two games. But we know we are playing well and with confidence," said Celtic assistant manager John Collins.

Celtic have won their last eight matches but their limitations have been exposed in Europe this season and they must be wary of an Inter side who are fresh from recording handsome wins in their last two games.

"We are not playing against another Scottish team but one full of internationals and a hugely-experienced manager who has won things at the top level,” added Collins. "It will be a challenge for us. To win the tie, we will have to play well in both games but we are more than capable of that."

 

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