Liverpool is going back to the scene of its greatest modern triumph in an effort to return to the biggest stage.
Liverpool will face Turkish club Besiktas in the UEFA Europa League’s Round of 32. UEFA held the draw for the Europa League Round of 32 on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, and matched the Reds against the Istanbul-based club. Liverpool will host the first contest of the two-game series on Feb. 19 at Anfield. Besiktas will host the second game on Feb. 26.
Liverpool dramatically won the UEFA Champions League final (against AC Milan) the last time it graced the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. The stakes will be lower next year than they were in 2005, but former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek still revived memories of that unforgettable night when drew the Reds against Besiktas on Monday.
Liverpool hasn’t played Besiktas since they met in the Champions League group stage in 2007. Besiktas won at home by a score of 2-1, but Liverpool trounced it 8-0 at Anfield when they met two weeks later. Although history is on Liverpool’s side, it will matter little in February.
Second-year head coach Slaven Bilic guided Besiktas to this season’s Champions League in his first term, but they narrowly lost to Arsenal in the final playoff round and had to accept a Europa League place as a consolation. Besiktas reached the Europa League Round of 32 by winning Group C ahead of Premier League club Tottenham. Besiktas currently leads a heated three-way race at the top of Turkey’s Super Lig (first division).
Demba Ba, 29, who famously dented Liverpool’s title hopes when he scored for Chelsea at Anfield last April, headlines Besiktas’ lineup. Ba has scored five goals in four Europa League games and eight in 10 Super Lig games in 2014-15.
Turkish internationals Gokhan Tore, Olcay Sahan and Ozguzhan Ozyakup are serious goal threats from midfield positions, as is Argentinian winger Jose Sosa. Czech international defender Tomas Sivok and Canadian fullback Atiba Hutchinson play important defensive roles on Billic’s team.
Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League last week and parachuted into the last 32 by virtue of its third-place finish in Group B. The Reds will travel 2,110 miles as they look to win Europe’s second-tier competition for the first time since 2001 (when they won the UEFA Cup).
Liverpool has delivered disappointing results and performances so far in 2014-15. The Reds failed to hit their Champions League target and sit 11th in the Premier League standings after 16 games.
But Liverpool could be in better shape by mid-to-late February. Star striker Daniel Sturridge could return from injury in the coming weeks, and summer signings who have struggled to meet expectations should have adapted further by the time Liverpool and Besiktas face off. The Reds also might add new players during the January transfer window.
The Europa League provides an excellent opportunity for Liverpool return to the European limelight, as this season’s winner will qualify for next season’s Champions League. If Liverpool tops Besiktas it will enter the Round of 16 draw, which will be held on Feb. 27.
Thumbnail photo via Jean-Christophe Bott/The Associated Press/Keystone
