A place in the last four of the Europa League has been assured but can this brilliant win over Benfica finally be the result that kick starts our push to secure fourth place? We’ve had so many failed kick starts though haven’t we! Fulham are also in the last four of the EL, and an all English final is possible, but this is a match we must win and it does represent a very good chance of doing so.
Liverpool Team News:
Fabio Aurelio and Martin Skrtel are still awaiting returns from injury with Martin Kelly out for the remainder of the season. Fernando Torres will be fit despite treatment on his knee and Ryan Babel could return as could Maxi Rodriquez after European suspension and ineligibility respectively.
Player to watch: Torres
Fernando Torres is an easy pick but with four consecutive two goal hauls at Anfield who would bet against him making it five in a row? Maybe the Spaniard could go one step further and complete a hat trick this time.
Fulham Team News:
Davies, Elm, Pantsil and England hopeful Zamora are all rated as doubtful with Dempsey and Johnson both missing through injury
Player to watch: Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer will hopefully be a busy goalkeeper so how the Australian international stands up to this test could make a lot of difference. Bobby Zamora would have been another easy pick as the striker is in rich vein of goalscoring form and could have further pushed his international credentials here. However injury is expected to rule him out.
Match Facts & Stats
Two reds cards, to Phillip Degen and Jamie Carragher, didn’t help our chances at Craven Cottage earlier in the season. This 3-1 defeat in London virtually ensured that any aspirations of a title push, that were already thin on the ground at that time, were killed off in the opening months of the season.
Ref Watch:
Lee Probert will officiate.
Match Prediction:
Fulham will want to complete a famous double over the Reds however, with them safe, their priority appears to be the EL so Roy Hodgson could utilise his squad to it’s fullest again between European matches. The need for us to win is huge so Rafa has to put out and attacking formation and attack from the start and if we do this we should win, and maybe fairly comfortably? My prediction would be Liverpool 3 Fulham 1.
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Next Fixtures:
Home to West Ham in the Premier League on Monday (a week Monday).