Liverpool have a chance of making it to the next round of the Europa League on Thursday if they manage to defeat French side Bordeaux in their Group B encounter at Anfield.
The Reds have been in an impressive form under their new manager, Jurgen Klopp, who has brought a new level of positive energy into the Liverpool squad. With Klopp, the players and fans have started to believe in themselves especially after their massive victories over Manchester City and Chelsea.
Liverpool, who currently lie second in the group, have not lost a single game in the Europa League and will be willing to keep their unbeaten streak intact when they face Bordeaux.
Bordeuax players can draw inspiration from Liverpool's comparatively poor record at home. Liverpool have not been at their fluent best at Anfield, which was once their fortress, as they have suffered a loss against Crystal Palace in the EPL as well.
Klopp will love to witness Liverpool dominate Bordeaux at Anfield like the way Reds did against the might of Chelsea and Manchester City. Liverpool are once again expected to come up with a strong eleven against Bordeaux, but the return of Daniel Sturridge, who was on the bench against City, is not yet fully known.
"He is closer. He's had another three or four important sessions since last Saturday – each session is very important. My decision [on whether he will play against Bordeaux], you will see tomorrow. He is closer and that's very, very good, but the most important thing in these [coming] weeks is that he can train without problems," Liverpool official website quoted Klopp as saying.
Irrespective of Sturridge being fit to feature in the Europa League, Liverpool have the likes of Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke to help them find the back of the net. Benteke, who came in as a second half substitute against City, could start against Bordeaux.
"Christian Benteke is in very good shape, which is very important for us. When I came here he was injured, but now he has had many, many [training] sessions with the team and the Belgian national team," added Klopp.
Liverpool, who have only lost a single game in all competitions under Klopp, cannot afford to drop their gear against Bordeaux as the French outfit are searching for their first victory in the Europa League. Bordeaux can draw inspiration from their Europa League opener when they drew against Liverpool.
The match is even more important for Bordeaux, as they can tie on points with Liverpool if they defeat the Reds at Anfield, which will help increase the French club's chances of next round berth.
Where to watch live
Liverpool vs Bordeaux Europa League match has been scheduled for 9:05pm local time (1:35am IST, 8:05pm GMT, 3:05pm ET). Viewers in India can watch the Liverpool vs Bordeaux Europa League match on Ten Action with live streaming option on Ten Sports Live.
The viewers in the UK can watch the Liverpool vs Bordeaux Europa League match live on BT Sport Europe with live streaming option on Watch BT Sport.
The US viewers have the option of catching the Liverpool vs Bordeaux Europa League live on Fox Sports 1 USA; the match can also be live streamed online on FoxSoccer2Go.
Football fans in France can watch Liverpool vs Bordeaux Europa League live on beIn Sports 1.
