Tag Archives: progress

Reds look set for Euro progress

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Liverpool are in Europa League third qualifying round second leg action against Gomel on Thursday at Anfield as they look set to seal their place in the play-off round of the tournament.

Stewart Downing’s goal in Belarus last week handed Brendan Rodgers a winning start to life in charge of the Merseysiders after he took over from Kenny Dalglish this summer.

And, with a 1-0 lead to defend on home soil, it seems unlikely that Gomel (10/1 Away Win 90 Minutes) will have enough to overturn the deficit and dump the Reds out of Europe at this early stage.

Rodgers is likely to name a similar side to the one which triumphed in the away leg so Daniel Agger is again set to miss out as he is still building up his fitness levels for the new Premier League campaign.

Luis Suarez, fresh from signing a new contract at Anfield, is back from the Olympic Games with Uruguay and could be on the bench with Andy Carroll pushing summer signing Fabio Borini for a starting role.

Gomel manager Oleg Kubarev is not expected to make wholesale changes from the first leg with danger man Aleksandr Alumona set to lead the attack, while Nikolay Lipatkin could be handed a start after a 15-minute substitute display last week.

Despite Liverpool’s first-leg win, it was Gomel who dominated large spells of the game as they are six weeks into their league season.

Match-winner Downing is hoping the Reds will not be as lacklustre this time around following another week of pre-season work and use their quality to seal a safe passage into the next round (11/2 Liverpool to win 2-0).

He said: “Obviously I can understand fans who want us to be fast out of the blocks but we had only been back 10 days so for me, it was a good result, maybe not the best performance but with a week’s training behind us we’ll put a better performance in at Anfield.”

Another notable second leg fixture sees Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United travelling to Russia to face Dinamo Moscow hoping to snatch a win (15/2 Away Win 90 Minutes) which would send them through.

Moscow have two away goals after last week’s 2-2 draw at Tannadice and are 3/10 favourites to progress, although Peter Houston’s men could go for the draw after 90 minutes (10/3) and try and take the tie all the way to progress.

The 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan thrashed Croatian outfit Hadjuk Split 3-0 in last week’s away first leg so not surprisingly are 1/7 to win the home tie at the San Siro.

Last season’s Europa League finalists, Athletic Bilbao, travel to Croatia for their second-leg tie against NK Slaven Belupo.

The Spanish outfit, who comfortably dismissed Manchester United over two legs last term, managed a 3-1 home-leg win and will look to ease their way through (2/1 Away Win 90 Minutes).

However, the away goal could be the key if the hosts can grab an early goal (Slaven 9/2 Home Win 90 Minutes), but Bilbao should have too much firepower to be really troubled.

A closer tie involves Marseille, who were held 1-1 in Turkey by Eskisehirspor last week.

The French Ligue 1 outfit should have enough to progress on home soil and that is reflected by the fact they are 4/11 to win the game, but a draw at 90 minutes is worth noting at 16/5.

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Bayern and Inter to progress

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Bayern Munich and Inter Milan must both overturn 1-0 first-leg defeats in the Champions League on Tuesday but should not be dismissed on home soil on what promises to be another night of European drama.

Bayern Munich v FC Basel

Bayern Munich bounced back domestically when demolishing Hoffenheim 7-1 on Saturday and their impressive home record in Europe makes them difficult to oppose (Bayern Munich 1/2, FC Basel 6/4 – To Qualify).

The Bavarians have built up an impressive run of 11 wins in 12 Champions League matches at the Allianz Arena and also have a 100 per cent home record in three games against Swiss visitors.

True, they were dealt a shock when Valentin Stocker’s 86th-minute goal at St. Jakob-Park condemned them to a 1-0 first-leg defeat, but club officials have already stressed there can be no more excuses (Bayern 1/5, draw 9/2, FC Basel 9/1 – 90 Minutes).

“That will give us a boost. I am confident the squad has that hunger again,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes after the Hoffenheim rout. “That was important for Tuesday.”

Another incentive for the Bundesliga giants is the fact that Munich will host the Champions League final on May 19.

“Basel is a very important game for the way the rest of the season will run. We have to do that again against Basel,” Munich president Uli Hoeness told German television channel ZDF.

Arjen Robben, Mario Gomez (5/2 – First Goalscorer) and Jerome Boateng are all nursing knocks but are expected to play, while Germany international Bastian Schweinsteiger came on for the final 20 minutes against Hoffenheim – over a month after he tore ankle ligaments.

Basel should not be dismissed given that they were undefeated on their travels in the group stage, holding Manchester United and Benfica and beating FC Otelul Galati – but their record in Germany is less encouraging, with one win, two draws and three defeats.

The return leg offers Basel livewire Xherdan Shaqiri (10/3 – Anytime Scorer), who has signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern, the chance to showcase his talents in front of his future employers.

Inter Milan v Marseille

Inter Milan ended a run of nine games without a win in all competitions with a 2-0 victory against Chievo in Verona on Friday and can edge what should be a close encounter against Didier Deschamps’ strugglers (Inter Milan evens, draw 9/4, Marseille 9/4 – 90 Minutes).

The Nerazzurri have already beaten French opposition at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this season, prevailing 2-1 against Lille on match day four, and their overall home record against Ligue 1 clubs is W5 D3 L3.

Friday’s win reduced under-pressure coach Claudio Ranieri to tears and Inter will be expected to progress in front of their home fans – but must recover from Andre Ayew’s injury-time header in France on February 22.

Diego Milito (3/2 – Anytime Scorer), who scored in stoppage-time, has urged his team-mates to use the Chievo win as a catalyst for an end-of-season flourish and they can draw comfort from winning over half – 15 out of 28 – of Uefa competition ties in which they lost the first leg away from home.

He told Sky Sports Italia: “Tuesday’s match is massive and we’re desperate to do well. And we’d then have everything to play for – this team has already shown it’s capable of going all the way.”

Marseille’s form has nosedived since beating Inter at Stade Velodrome and they have not scored in four Ligue 1 defeats since their first-leg success.

Deschamps was unbeaten against the Nerazzurri as a player, but Marseille have not been further than the last 16 since lifting the trophy in 1993 and their current form means that statistic is likely to stay unchanged.

Tuesday’s recommendation is a Bayern Munich and Inter Milan ‘To Qualify’ double which pays better than 3/1.

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Manchester eyes Europa progress

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Manchester City (11/4 Outright) and Manchester United (10/3) will continue their quest for Europa League success on Thursday evening as they look to secure positive results in their respective last-16, first-leg ties against Sporting Lisbon and Athletic Bilbao respectively.

City are up first as they make the trip to Portugal to face Sporting at the Jose Alvalade Stadium with a 6pm kick-off. Roberto Mancini’s men booked their place against Sporting thanks to a 4-0 home win against holders FC Porto in the previous round, although they were trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Portugal which will no doubt give the hosts hope of emulating their league leaders going into this game.

However, City are in strong form having won their last six games, conceding just one goal in the process, so will be optimistic of making life easier for themselves in this round. Mancini is set to hand Sergio Aguero and David Silva starting roles after resting them for Saturday’s 2-0 win against Bolton, while James Milner and Edin Dzeko are set to start having only played minor roles in that game.

Kolo Toure is likely to play at right-back due to injuries to Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta, with Nigel de Jong set to replace the suspended Yaya Toure.

Sporting go into the game on the back of their first defeat under new coach Ricardo Sa Pinto, 1-0 away at Vitoria Setubal on Saturday, having won the previous three to occupy fourth spot in the Portuguese league.

However, they have been strong on home soil in Europe, having won every tie played in front of their own fans so far this season, which is a stern warning to City that they should not turn up and be complacent for this test.

Sporting have been hit by the loss of top scorer Ricky van Wolfswinkel due to injury so Matias Fernandez and Andre Carillo will fight it out to feature, with Uruguayan Sebastian Ribas ineligible to play.

The two sides have not faced each other competitively, but with Sporting boasting a formidable record at home and City in a rich run of form, they could well cancel each other out.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 5/2
Value Bet: Sporting/Draw HT/Ft @ 12/1

Manchester United get their last-16 clash with Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao underway at Old Trafford at 8.05pm looking to shake off their uncertain home form of one win in four games in European competition this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage after dropping points on home soil to the likes of Basel and Benfica, while a 2-1 second-leg defeat to Ajax at the Theatre of Dreams almost ended their Europa League bid after they had won the first leg 2-0 in Amsterdam.

However, the Red Devils’ form has been on the up in the Premier League since that defeat, with successive wins at Norwich and Tottenham keeping them within two points of league leaders Manchester City.

And they will be looking to avoid any more problems against Athletic Bilbao as Ferguson will want a comfortable lead to take to Spain for the second leg.

United do have problems on the injury front as Paul Scholes sat out training on Wednesday, while Michael Owen was also absent and Antonio Valencia trained on his own as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain.

Ferguson blamed a lack of experience for the defeat to Ajax and will want to inject some older heads into the starting XI to ensure they do not have to travel in a week’s time chasing the tie against a Bilbao side with a strong home record in Europe.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa has guided the side to within a point of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot in La Liga courtesy of a 2-0 Basque derby win over Real Sociedad at the weekend, while they have won three and drawn one of their home games in the Europa League when looking ahead to the second leg.

Midfielder Ander Herrera is adamant that his side are making the trip to Old Trafford to come back as winners, while towering frontman Fernando Llorente (15/2 – First Goalscorer) is a player who could pose a real threat to the United goal if he is not carefully marshalled.

It looks set to be an open tie and with United knowing they could do with a win to take to Spain next week, expect a few goals and the hosts to come out on top.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 1/2
 Value Bet: United To Win 3-1 Correct Score @ 9/1

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Fulham and Stoke looking to progress

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The Europa League takes precedence this week as there is no Champions League action, with Fulham and Stoke both poised to secure spots in the knock-out stages.

The Cottagers face a tricky trip to Group K leaders FC Twente as they seek to extend their run in Europe although the Dutch outfit have already booked their spot in the next round and this could work to Fulham’s advantage.

FC Twente remain unbeaten in Europe but they may choose to rest some of their top men in order to focus on their trip to FC Utrecht at the weekend, with Twente already seven points behind Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar.

It will take a big effort from Martin Jol’s side but considering what is at stake and the fact Twente are already through the Cottagers could well emerge victorious on Thursday.  The west London club have plenty of experience in the Europa League, having reached the final in 2010, and at 10/3 they look good value to grab the win in Holland, Twente are the 5/6 favourites to come out on top and the draw can be backed at 5/2.

If Fulham win in Holland they will secure a spot in the last 32 but a draw could also be good enough if the other sides in Group K, Odense BK and Wisla Krakow, draw on Thursday night.

When the groups were drawn it was noted that Stoke City had been handed a particularly hard task for their European campaign. However, the Potters are currently top of the Group E table and will qualify for the last 32 if they manage to take at least a point when they face Dynamo Kiev at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday night.

Besiktas and Maccabi Tel-Aviv make up the rest of Group E and if the Israeli outfit emerge victorious in Tel Aviv, Stoke will qualify regardless of their own result. However, Potters boss Tony Pulis will be taking nothing for granted and will be gunning for the victory.

The Potters secured a draw in Kiev when the two sides met in September and would have taken all the points had it not been for a last-gasp equaliser from the Ukrainian side. Stoke are a formidable outfit on home soil, despite their Premier League struggles of late, and at 13/10 are a great price to seal the win.

Pulis has rotated his squad for Europe and seems set to continue with that policy for Kiev’s visit – Asmir Begovic is set to start in goal, while Ryan Shotton, Kenwyne Jones and Robert Huth could all be involved. The draw, which would be enough for Stoke to progress, is priced at 9/4 and a win for Dynamo Kiev is priced at 21/10.

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Swedes to check England progress

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The international year comes to an end on Tuesday night when England welcome Sweden to Wembley for what will be the last game before the build-up to Euro 2012 really begins. Having beaten Spain on Saturday, England’s players will be confident but would do well not to underestimate the Swedes (9/2, England 4/6, draw 13/5).

For many England supporters Saturday night might have been a bittersweet one. While the result and some aspects of the performance will give those who follow the Three Lions hope, there will be others who point to the flaws in their performance. Spain controlled the game from minute one and to see an England side dominated so much at Wembley might have come as a shock to those supporters still living on former glories.

The result papers over the cracks somewhat but Fabio Capello will hope beating the reigning world and European champions will give his England side the confidence boost they need to kick on. The only worry might be England becoming over confident thanks to the win and looking beyond a dangerous Sweden team.

Erik Hamren’s men qualified for Euro 2012 as the best runners-up from the group stage, finishing behind the Netherlands. The Swedes were the only team to take points off the Dutch, beating them 3-2 as they ended up with 24 points from a possible 30 in qualification.

Hamren has a decent squad at his disposal as well, lead by the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The AC Milan striker blows hot and cold but when on form can be unplayable and is 15/8 to score at anytime. He should be supported by the likes of Sebastian Larsson, Kim Kallstrom, Johan Elmander and Ola Toivonen. While it isn’t the strongest Sweden squad ever assembled they should have enough to test England.

Capello has admitted he will make eight changes to his starting XI from the one that beat Spain, with Daniel Sturridge (9/2 first goalscorer), Bobby Zamora (9/2), Jack Rodwell, Danny Welbeck (4/1), Kyle Walker and Scott Carson all in the frame. Capello proved on Saturday that you can mix and match when it comes to your team selection but throwing so many youngsters into the fray could prove to be a mistake.

England fans will certainly expect a more open game on Tuesday, Capello admitting he had to play defensively against Spain given their quality. A more open game could suit both sides, with Sweden having failed to score on Saturday for the first time in 11 matches as they lost to Denmark 2-0.

The Swedes will hope they can raise their game for the clash with England, a fixture they have traditionally done well in having not tasted defeat since 1968. The last time the two nations met was in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole with the goals for England in the 2-2 draw.

The draw at 13/5 might be the result to go for if history is to repeat itself, with eight of the last 12 matches between the two countries having ended all square. England will be expected to win but Sweden have proven they have the Three Lions’ number over the years and could do so once again.

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British clubs eye Europa progress

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Six British clubs feature in Thursday night’s second leg Europa League play-off clashes and all, except for Hearts, have a great chance of making the group stages of the competition.

Dnipro (0) vs Fulham (3)

The Cottagers look set to make it through to the group stages after a convincing performance at Craven Cottage last week, where they overcame Ukrainian side Dnipro 3-0.

The west London club will struggle not to repeat a victory tomorrow night, although Martin Jol’s side may take their foot of the gas slightly. However, new boss Jol will be keen that his side get back to winning ways after a disappointing 2-0 away defeat to Wolves at the weekend.

A 2-1 Fulham victory can be backed at 10/1, with last week’s double-goal hero Clint Dempsey 15/8 to score at anytime in the fixture.

Tottenham (5) vs Hearts (0)

One could be forgiven for declaring this game a dead-rubber due to the huge five-goal advantage that Spurs take into this second leg.

However, with so much transfer speculation around White Hart Lane at the moment, many of the players set to be in action for the north London club will have a point to prove to manager Harry Redknapp.

Peter Crouch, who may be surplus to requirements if Emmanuel Adebayor’s loan deal is secured, is 4/1 to score first while fellow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko – who has been linked with a switch to Sunderland – is also 4/1 to grab the first goal of the evening.

A Hearts comeback is out of the question, especially away from home, but the Scottish outfit can be backed at an appealing 21/5 to score first.

Birmingham (0) vs Nacional (0)

In perhaps the most intriguing tie of the night, Blues face a tricky task at home against Portuguese side Nacional as the Championship outfit aim for the Europa League group stages.

Birmingham were unlucky not to grab an away goal last week, after Steven Caldwell and Chris Wood both rattled the woodwork on three separate occasions between them.

Wood, who is on-loan from West Brom, is yet to score this season but can be backed at a tempting 6/1 to score first tomorrow evening, while Caldwell is 40/1 to achieve the same feat.

Nacional, however, will be scenting a chance to progress into the group stages and know how vital an away goal could be at St Andrew’s.

The Portuguese outfit are 5/1 to grab a 1-1 draw and break Birmingham hearts courtesy of the away goal rule -  a result that would put an end to the club’s first foray into Europe for 49 years.

Rangers (1) vs NK Maribor (2)

Rangers appear to face the toughest task of all the British clubs on Thursday – barring Hearts of course – as they seek to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Slovenian champions NK Maribor.

The Scottish champions will hope that their away goal proves vital, but the fact that they threw away a 1-0 lead in Slovenia could prey heavily on their minds in the return game.

Ally McCoist’s men are 5/1 to claim a 1-0 victory at Ibrox, which would be enough to see them through to the group stages.

Nikicka Jelavic and Steven Naismith, who have both bagged three goals already this season for the Glasgow side, are 7/2 and 9/2 respectively to score first.

FC Sion (0) vs Celtic (0)

Celtic will hope to get their season back on track when they travel to Switzerland to try and complete a victory over FC Sion.

Last week’s contest saw a stalemate in which Neil Lennon’s men looked unimpressive in front of goal.  And, after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to St Johnstone on Sunday, Lennon will be desperate to get a victory.

The Hoops are 7/4 to claim a victory and Kris Commons can be backed at 13/2 to score first.

Lennon will be pleased that his men did not concede an away goal during the first leg, but that could be scant consolation if they fail to progress to the group stages of the competition.

It could well be a nervy affair at Parkhead but the Bhoys are bound to go for goals early on in a bid to secure a group-stage place. However, Sion will be a threat on the break so Celtic to be leading at half-time and losing at full-time can be backed at an attractive 25/1.

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British trio look good for Europa progress

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The domestic season is still to begin in England but the preliminary rounds of the Europa League are well underway as Stoke, Fulham and Hearts all hope to book their place in the final play-off stage of the competition on Thursday.

All three British sides left in have a realistic chance of going through and here we preview their respective third-round, second-leg ties.

Hajduk Split v Stoke (agg 0-1)

The Potters’ first foray into Europe for 37 years ended in a narrow win in the first leg against the Croatian outfit thanks to Jon Walters’ early goal at what was a rocking Britannia Stadium last week.

Tony Pulis’ side wasted several good chances to extend their lead in the tie and, while they would have wanted more goals to take to Split, Stoke remain in pole position to make it through.

However, they are sure to be tested by their opponents on Thursday in front of what is expected to be a hostile home following. Pulis is likely to go with a defensive-minded formation but if any side can go and shut up shop and kill a game then it’s the Potters.

Go with 0-0 at 7/1 – just enough to extend their European adventure for at least two more games.

Fulham v RNK Split (agg 0-0)

Fulham have had it relatively easy in the Europa League so far but will have been disappointed to have come away from Croatia – against the lesser-known Split outfit – without a victory.

A goalless draw away in Europe is always viewed as a decent result, however, and, like Stoke, the Cottagers are in a good position to advance into the play-offs ahead of the second leg in London.

Martin Jol set his stall out in this competition in the early qualifying round against Northern Irish minnows Crusaders when he named a surprisingly strong side – despite the fact it was mid-July – and he is obviously keen to do well in the tournament after taking over from Mark Hughes this summer.

The likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and recent signing John Arne Riise all started in the first leg and they will again be charged with disposing of RNK this time around. Expect a fairly comfortable home win here with 4-0 to the Cottagers at 15/2 representing good value.

Hearts v Paksi (agg 1-1)

Hearts gave themselves every chance of securing a play-off spot with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Hungary last week against the relatively unknown Paksi, who certainly punched above their weight last season when finishing second in the Hungarian league to earn a shot at the Europa League.

The first leg was generally controlled by the Jambos but, after falling behind against the run of play, they failed to find enough to come back and win. However, an away goal and a score-draw is always welcome in Europe so expect the SPL side to have too much for Paksi in Edinburgh.

Hearts have been in the news this week when Jim Jefferies became the latest managerial casualty of controversial ‘hands-on’ owner Vladimir Romanov. And, despite the off-field shenanigans proving to be a distraction in the past, these latest developments are unlikely to affect them too much for the second leg and a handsome Hearts win looks on the cards for new man in charge Paulo Sergio (Hearts 23/20 – HT/FT).

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Smith aiming for England progress

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England’s women will qualify for the last eight of the World Cup in Germany if they can avoid defeat against Japan on Tuesday (England 21/10, Japan 23/20, the draw 2/1 – match prices) and, while they have progressed steadily in the tournament so far, they know a possible last-eight clash against the mighty hosts is on the horizon so a victory in Augsburg is vital.

England kicked off the tournament with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Mexico before they chalked up their first win on Friday – coming from behind to beat New Zealand 2-1.

That result, coupled with Japan’s 4-0 win over Mexico, means the winner of Tuesday’s showdown will end up topping the group and therefore probably avoid a knock-out clash against hosts Germany in the last eight.

So it’s no surprise to hear star striker Kelly Smith insisting they are going all out for a win in their final group game (England to win 2-1 – 9/1 – Correct Score).

The two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the World Cup four years ago – with England denied by a late equaliser after Smith had scored twice – and the 32-year-old says they will not settle for a draw against Japan despite it being enough to ensure progress.

“We are going for a win, we don’t normally set out to draw the game,” she said. “We really want to get three points and top the group.”

Germany are the powerhouse of women’s international football, having won the last two World Cups and three European Championships. Only America have come close to stopping their domination in recent years and England found out to their cost just how good the Germans are on their day when they lost 6-2 to them in the European final two years ago.

France are likely to lie in wait next should the Lionesses top Group B, however, and the two sides are very evenly matched with the last two games between the nations ending in 2-2 draws.

Smith knows this could be her last shot at World Cup glory as she will be 36 when the next tournament comes around so she is desperate to avoid going home early from Germany.

“You have to grab the opportunity with both hands whether you are 21 or my age, you might not play in the World Cup again, you might not qualify,” she said.

So if Smith, who has scored 43 goals in 106 appearances for her country, can inspire England to a win over Japan to avoid Germany in the quarters, then England may just sense they can make it at least into the semi-final before they can maybe start dreaming of even more glory this summer.

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Gerrard confident of progress

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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits the Reds’ group for the Europa League will be difficult but is confident they can reach the knockout stage of the competition (Liverpool 11/1 Europa League outright).

Roy Hodgson’s side survived a scare in Turkey on Thursday night against Trabzonspor, going a goal down early on before an own goal and a late Dirk Kuyt strike saved them from going to extra time.

The Reds have now come through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stages of the Europa League and have been rewarded by being placed in Group K alongside Napoli, Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht.

The biggest test Liverpool are likely to face will come from Italian side Napoli, who finished sixth in Serie A season and have a good squad of players to call upon.

Amongst manager Walter Mazzarri’s squad is the highly-rated Marek Hamsik, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United in the past.

The Slovakian is joined by Italian international Fabio Quagliarella and Argentina prospect Ezequiel Lavezzi, who has also been linked with a move to a number of British clubs.

A trip to Romania to face former European champions Steaua will not be easy either, although Liverpool will be the hot favourites to win the home leg.

Rounding off Group K (13/2 to produce the outright winner) are Dutch side Utrecht, who enjoyed one of the greatest nights in their short history when they overturned a 2-0 defeat to Celtic in the first leg, beating the SPL side 4-0 at home to go through.

Although Liverpool will be the favourites to win the group and reach the knockout stages Gerrard admits it won’t be easy.

The England international, who missed the trip to Turkey through injury, says that while the Europa League is not the club’s priority this season he claims it?s important they do well in the competition.

“It’s a strong group and I’m certainly looking forward to the games. The media will make us early favourites I’m sure, because of our experience in the Champions League and last year in the Europa League,” said Gerrard.

“I’m confident we can get out of the group but it will be tough. The draw has given us some difficult challenges.

“I don’t think the Europa League is the priority. Everybody knows that our league position, where we finish at the end of this year, is the priority.

“But it’s another trophy, it’s a big cup. We haven’t won a trophy for four years now so it’s important we put a good show on in all the cup competitions and try to reward the fans with a final.”

Joining Liverpool in the hat for Friday’s draw were Manchester City (11/2 Europa League outright) after they cruised past Romanian team Timisoara.

Their reward was to be placed in a group alongside Italian giants Juventus, who themselves are one of the favourites to win this season’s Europa League.

The draw will see City striker Mario Balotelli return to Turin, where he was the victim of racist abuse two seasons ago, resulting in Juve being forced to play a game behind closed doors.

Joining City and Juve in Group A are Austrian champions Salzburg and Polish qualifiers Lech Poznan.

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