This upcoming Tuesday, September 16, Liverpool will be facing PFC Ludogorets Razgrad in Anfield Stadium at 11:45 AM (PST).
Champions League football is finally back. The biggest teams in Group B so far have not looked their best in their domestic leagues. Real Madrid seem to miss Di Maria and Liverpool does not seem to have found its groove yet. As things are at the moment, Group B will definitely be an interesting group to follow.
Group B consists of Liverpool, Real Madrid, FC Basel and Ludogorets. While Real Madrid and Liverpool are arguable the strongest teams in Group B, FC Basel will certainly prove to be a challenge for those two teams. The “unknown team” in this group is presumably Ludogorets, who barely managed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. Ludogorets will have a tough time playing against these teams, but upsets can never be ruled out.
Liverpool Team News
So far, Liverpool have had a pretty average start in the Premier League. They are currently in 8th place, having two wins and two losses. Sure, it may be a bit too early to tell how the Reds will fare the rest of the season, but other teams are moving ahead quickly. Their latest loss to Aston Villa was a disappointment for Liverpool fans, but Villa is in 2nd place in the Premier League. Up next for the Reds will be West Ham United, which will probably an easier game for them.
In regards to their strikers, Daniel Sturridge has lately been out with an thigh injury and Mario Balotelli has not shone in his latest games. Sturridge suffered the thigh injury whilst training for the England national team. Balotelli was set to replace him as strker in the Reds’ game against Aston Villa, but he was not able to produce good shots on target. Maybe Super Mario is a bit rusty with the team and he still needs some time to adjust accordingly.
This Tuesday, Liverpool will finally be able to compete in Champions League football once again. For many Liverpool fans, 5 years have almost seemed like an eternity. The last time they were in the Champions League was 2009 and they did not manage to get out of the group stage. However, this year, the Reds have acquired a favorable group.They are likely to end up in second place in the group if they are able to play at their best.
Ludogorets Team News
Ludogorets are a relatively unknown team, considering that they are a pretty new team. The Bulgarian club is only 13 years old, but they have their share of overall success. For being only 13 years old, the club definitely has reason to be able to compete against big name teams such as Real Madrid and Liverpool. Their group draw was not that favorable, but it will prove to be a great experience for them.
If there were to be a specific reason why the team has garnered attention in recent weeks, it is likely because of their exciting qualification to the Champions League. Ludogorets barely managed to qualifiy in penalties against Steaua Bucuresti. Since Ludogorets’ goalkeeper was sent off with a second yellow in the dying minutes of the game, Centre-back Cosmin moti had to step up and play goalkeeper for them. He amazingly saved two penalties and proved to be the x-factor for the team in the last minutes of the game. Now, this small new club is set to face one of the biggest clubs in the world, Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Ludogorets Prediction
While this may not be the most exciting game in the Champions League, both of these clubs have had relatively successful histories. Liverpool’s experience and quality players may end up being too much for Ludogorets. Additionally, Liverpool will not lose easily at Anfield after having a lengthy drought without Champions League games. After the final whistle is blown in the game, Liveprool will have likely defeated Ludogorets 3-0.
Liverpool vs Ludogorets TV Schedule
The Liverpool vs Ludogorets match will be televised on Fox Sports 2 at 11:45 AM (PST) this Tuesday, September 16.
