Qualifying From Champions League Group Should be a Piece of cake

Liverpool’s return to the Champions League has thrown up what, on paper, looks to be an easy group

After the results of the Champions League draw if I ever hear Brendan Rodgers calling himself or his team unlucky this season, I’ll call him the biggest hypocrite ever! I mean, it’s time to open champagne and celebrate Liverpool’s progression to the last 16 of the competition. Though of course, the job has to be done on the pitch first, but seriously if the Reds don’t qualify from this group, players along with their manager should play the rest of the season for free.

I mean Basel and Ludogorets! Basel did well last season doing the double over Chelsea, but it didn’t stop Jose Mourinho’s team from finishing on top of the group and Basel crashing out into the mediocrity of Europa League. They do possess one or two players with quality, but that should never be a problem for the Reds. Ludogorets are a serious threat though. One player to be exact. Mr Cosmin Moti. He is a defender who had to step in goal for a dismissed keeper, saved two penalties during the shoot-out and scored his. Otherwise, they are well below average.

And Real Madrid, of course. Brilliant team, the best in Europe last season. They have two of the three best players in the world and added one or two players with bundles of talent, skill and quality. Their manager is experienced, midfield has all the flair and creativity you want and they possess possibly the best attack in the world with deadly Karim Benzema up top, World Cup Golden Ball winner James Rodriguez in the hole, the most expensive player in the world in Gareth Bale on the right and the Man himself. Cristiano Ronaldo. Dejan, Martin, Glen and everyone else at the back, I feel really sorry for you after some of your performances in the opening weeks of the season!

There’s one positive though. Real Madrid have never beaten Liverpool. But never mind Los Blancos, Liverpool need to finish in top two to qualify, so they should be able to get the job done. This is the competition that brought the best out of the lads in the Red shirts. Most of us were brought up under the floodlights of Anfield during European nights. Even mention of Olympiakos in 2004, Juventus and Chelsea in 2005, Chelsea again in 2007, and Real Madrid in 2009 (remember the score?) sends chills down the spine. Ready to feel them all over again?

Playing like LFC have been so far this season means nothing even remotely close to a title challenge, and I’m not too sure about the cups as Brendan always seems to give up on them early, so my personal interest lies with the Champions League. Why not? I was there that night in Istanbul, so I know that impossible really is nothing.