Big Match Feature: Liverpool v Basel

Form guide (all competitions)

Liverpool: DWWDLL

Basle: WWLWWW

A place in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League is up for grabs when Liverpool FC and FC Basle 1893 meet at Anfield on matchday six.

Second in Group B with a two-point advantage over the Reds, Basle need only draw to secure their first knockout-stage appearance since 2011/12. Liverpool require three points to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 2008/09.

Permutations: Liverpool (4pts) v Basle (6)

Basle will be through if they draw, even if Ludogorets win, due to their superior head-to-head record.

Liverpool will be through if they win. If they do not win they will finish third as long as Ludogorets do not pick up more points.

Previous meetings

In the 2002/03 first group stage, Basle drew 1-1 at Anfield on matchday two. They then led Liverpool 3-0 at home on matchday six only for the Reds to earn a 3-3 draw with a second-half fightback. Steven Gerrard played in both games but was substituted at halftime in Basle.

For Liverpool, the 3-3 result was not enough – Basle still pipped them to second place in the group by a point.

The line-ups at Anfield on 25 September 2002 were:

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypiä, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Cheyrou, Heskey (Diouf 71), Owen (Berger 79), Baroš.

Basle: Zuberbühler, Haas, M Yakin, Quennoz, Atouba, Barberis, Cantaluppi, H Yakin (Duruz 67), Esposito, Rossi (Tum 74), Giménez.

Match background

Liverpool

Liverpool have gone four games without a win in the Uefa Champions League since defeating PFC Ludogorets Razgrad with a stoppage-time Gerrard penalty on matchday one. The last time the Reds went five European games without a win was the 2001/02 second group stage.

This match falls almost 10 years ago to the day since Liverpool last played a win-or-bust final group fixture at Anfield in the Uefa Champions League. On 8 December 2004 they came from behind to beat Olympiacos FC 3-1, Gerrard scoring their third goal, and went on to win the trophy.

Liverpool suffered their heaviest European home defeat when losing 3-0 to Real Madrid CF on matchday three. Indeed, the Reds have lost four of their last six Uefa Champions League games at Anfield.

Liverpool drew 2-2 with BSC Young Boys when last hosting Swiss opposition in the 2012/13 Uefa Europa League group stage. Martin Škrtel and Jordan Henderson started, Gerrard and Raheem Sterling coming off the bench.

The Premier League side's home record against Swiss clubs is: W3 D2 L0.

If Liverpool win they will qualify with seven points, the same total they achieved in their last group stage campaign in 2009/10 when they finished third.

Basle

Basle are still seeking their first away points after defeats at Madrid (1-5) and Ludogorets (0-1).

In five previous campaigns in the Uefa Champions League and four in the Uefa Europa League, Basle have always taken at least one point on their travels.

Basle have won their last four games against Premier League opposition in the Uefa Champions League, including the 1-0 home success against Liverpool on matchday two. Indeed, they have lost just once in nine meetings with English opposition in the competition.

The Swiss title holders earned their first win in England at the 10th attempt when beating Chelsea FC 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in last season's group stage. Their overall record on English soil is W1 D4 L6.

Match facts

Liverpool

Liverpool have lost six of their 15 Premier League games this season, as many defeats as they suffered in the whole of 2013/14.

Liverpool were held 0-0 by Sunderland AFC on Saturday and have won just five out of 12 at home this season.

Johnson's first goal since 9 December 2012 earned Liverpool a 1-0 home win against Stoke City FC on 29 November.

The Reds registered back-to-back victories for only the second time this term when they triumphed 3-1 at strugglers Leicester City FC on 2 December.

Balotelli has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury training with Italy on 15 November.

Daniel Sturridge - out since breaking down on England duty at the start of September - returned to full training early last month but picked up a new thigh injury in training on 18 November and was ruled out for another six weeks. Liverpool have won just six of their 19 matches without him.

Basle

Geoffroy Serey Die is available after serving a two-game ban. Derlis González, Taulant Xhaka, Suchý and Schär are all a booking away from a suspension.

Basle have won seven of their last eight games and have conceded just twice in their last seven.

Matías Delgado was on target twice – his first goals since August – as Basle won 3-0 at the Swiss Super League's bottom side FC Luzern on Saturday.

Swiss Super League leaders Basle won 2-1 at second-placed FC Zürich on 30 November.

Shkelzen Gashi - the Swiss top flight's 19-goal leading marksman last term for Grasshopper Club - has scored eight in as many outings in all competitions.

Having missed 10 matches due to a slipped disc, Marco Streller returned to action against Zürich.

Giovanni Sio is sidelined with a knee injury.

Ivan Ivanov, out since January because of a knee problem, is Basle's only long-term absentee. On 15 September he underwent another operation and is expected to be unavailable for a further six months.

Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool manager

We would have taken [being in this position] when the draw was made. Tomorrow night will be a great night and, obviously, it is up to us to get the job done. This is a competition that has a great history here for Liverpool and it is a chance for the players to qualify and make sure they write themselves into folklore by winning the game and ensuring they get into the next round.

I think we've shown in the last number of weeks that we are starting to come together again after a disappointing spell. We haven't had the consistency this season but slowly, game by game, I can see the differences in the team, in the focus and the concentration. And what we have in the squad is quality. We know it's going to be a tough game but we've seen on many occasions what the crowd do here for the team.

We don't need to win the game in the first minute, I think that is the key. European football is technical and tactical and it is understanding that we just need to win the game – we have 90 minutes plus to do that. We have to maintain our patience, play a good technical game – which is what this team has been used to in the past couple of seasons – and, for the tactical element, we always have to have our concentration and focus. If we can do that, I believe we have a great chance, aligned with the supporters and the passion they put in.

We don't underestimate the opponent. Paolo has done an excellent job. They are the top side in Switzerland and they show that in their performances. So, we respect them but our objective is to win the game and our focus and our concentration is purely on ourselves to do that.

Paulo Sousa, Basle coach

We know the realities. We know they are a historic club and we know about everything around them – the investments, the quality of the players and the number of years Brendan Rodgers has been here, so he knows the environment. But despite that, our club year-by-year is having success. We have the ambition and courage to keep being successful. We want to do things how we usually do things, with happiness in our game, putting them under pressure and then hopefully we can have another magical night and another historic step for this fantastic club.

As a coach, I am always looking forward. With that in mind, we have a plan for the game, and hopefully that plan is the correct one, with the help of a fantastic team performance. Rodgers has been here for a while and is passing on his football philosophy, but in the end it is up to us because I want to be the protagonist. Our players are more solid and clearer in everything we do and we are in a good moment, and hopefully we perform well and put Liverpool under pressure.

If we achieve qualification it is a dream. It is something we are looking for, we are working for that, it is something we deserve. If it happens we will go looking for another achievement.

Possible line-ups

Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Touré, Škrtel, Manquillo; Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, Lucas, Sterling; Lambert.

Out: Balotelli (hamstring), Sturridge (thigh), Sakho (thigh), Flanagan (knee)

Basle: Vaclík; Degen, Schär, Suchý, Safari; Delgado, Frei, Elneny; Gonzalez, Streller, Gashi.

Out: Ivanov (knee), Sio (knee)