9 December 2014 • 19:45 • Anfield, Liverpool
Referee: B. Kuipers
Ten years on from a dramatic comeback in the Champions League, Liverpool will again look to Steven Gerrard for inspiration when they face Basel in a must-win match on Tuesday.
On December 8, 2004, Liverpool welcomed Greek side Olympiakos to Anfield needing to win by two goals to reach the last 16. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has backed Steven Gerrard to inspire his side through their must-win Champions League clash with Basel.
The five-time European champions go into Tuesday night's Group B game at Anfield knowing that only a victory will be good enough for them to progress.
And, having won just five of their 12 home matches in all competitions this season after being held to a goalless draw by Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, the pressure is on the Reds to perform.
Liverpool have also picked up just one point in four Champions League fixtures since opening with a narrow defeat of Ludogorets on Merseyside, a run which saw them lose 1-0 in Switzerland in October.
Gerrard was again only used as a substitute over the weekend but Rodgers has confirmed that he will play his skipper - the hero of so many European nights at Anfield - from the outset as his side seek those vital three points.
Basel go into the match buoyed by back-to-back away wins over FC Zurich and Lucerne, which extended their lead at the top of the Swiss Super League to eight points.
Top scorer Shkelzen Gashi took his tally for the season to 12 goals in 17 games with a double on Saturday, while veteran striker Marco Streller, who scored the only goal of the match when these sides met in Switzerland, has also returned to action after a slipped disc ahead of the Anfield clash.
Beat Basel, and Liverpool will join group winners Real Madrid in the last 16, where they have not set foot since 2009. Fail to win, and they are out."We are still very much alive and we can`t wait for the game against Basel at home, which will be another very special European night for sure," said Gerrard`s midfielder partner Lucas Leiva.
Ivorian midfielder Serey Die returns from suspension for Swiss Super League leaders Basel. Marco Streller is fit again after a back problem, but fellow striker Giovanni Sio has been sidelined by a knee injury.
Striker Daniel Sturridge remains out of action for Liverpool with a thigh problem, while Mario Balotelli is a doubt after missing five games due to a groin injury.
- If Liverpool do not win, they will not qualify for the last 16.
- The Reds would at least qualify for the Europa League by matching Ludogorets' result in their last game of the group stage. It would be their second Champions League in a row with them finishing third in their group, after 2009/2010.
- FC Basel could be through even with a draw. It would be their third time in the CL round of 16, after 2011/2012 (when they were eventually beaten by Bayern) and 2002/2003 (when they finished third in the second group stage).
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