Match 0504: AS Monaco vs Liverpool

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League UE CHAMPIONS
Match MONACO vs LIVERPOOL
Match No. 0504
Sales Close ^ 23/11/04 9:00PM

1X2

Home 1.98
Draw 3.20
Away 3.20

1/2 GOAL

Home MONACO (-1½) 3.60
Away LIVERPOOL (+1½) 1.22

TOTAL GOALS

No. of Goals

0 6.80
1 3.90
2 3.70
3 3.90
4 5.90
5 9.50
6 18.00
7 35.00
8 80.00
9+ 115.00

HALF / FULL TIME DOUBLE

Selection

H-H 3.40
H-D 11.00
H-A 25.00
D-H 4.80
D-D 5.20
D-A 6.50
A-H 23.00
A-D 12.00
A-A 6.50

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Liverpool seek away day inspiration

Liverpool FC ended AS Monaco FC's four-match unbeaten record on English soil thanks to their opening matchday defeat of Didier Deschamps' side at Anfield thanks to goals from Djibril Cissé and Milan Baro, but Rafael Benítez's side have not been so impressive on their travels in domestic competitions to date this season and the Reds' record on their journeys to France is equally mixed.

Although Akis Zikos was dismissed against Chelsea FC in last season's UEFA Champions League semi-finals, AS Monaco still ended up as comfortable winners

One win

Liverpool's last trip to France came in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup when they lost 2-1 to Olympique de Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome in the second leg of their fourth round tie, a result that provided OM with a 3-2 aggregate success. Emile Heskey had given Liverpool the lead after 14 minutes, but Marseille hit back with goals from Didier Drogba (37 minutes) and Abdoulaye Meite (57) to advance. Two years beforehand, in the same stage of the same competition, the Reds defeated AJ Auxerre thanks to Sami Hyypiä's 72nd-minute winner, the first time that the English side have recorded a victory away to a French team in UEFA competitions. Overall, Liverpool have visited France on six occasions, winning once and losing on the other five visits.

Recent experience

Monaco have hosted English clubs on four occasions winning twice, drawing once and losing once. All of their matches against English opposition have come in the last decade, opening with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Leeds United AFC in the first round of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup en route to a 3-1 aggregate defeat. Subsequently, Newcastle United FC visited the Principality in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, but after the Magpies had lost at home to a Sonny Anderson goal, Monaco put the tie beyond their rivals at the Stade Louis II with Sylvain Legwinski and Ali Benarbia (2) among the goals in a 4-0 aggregate success.

United denied

The stakes were the same the following season albeit in a different competition, namely the UEFA Champions League, when Monaco were held at home to a scoreless draw by Manchester United FC only to stun the English side at Old Trafford when recording a 1-1 draw to advance to the semi-final stage on away goals. Although Monaco failed to reach the final on that occasion after succumbing to Juventus FC, the prospect of reaching the all-important endgame became a reality last season when they were paired with Chelsea FC.

Chelsea humbled

Deschamps' charges responded with a 3-1 victory despite having to play almost all of the second half with ten men following Akis Zikos' dismissal in the 53rd minute. Dado Pro opened the scoring for the home side after 17 minutes, and though Hernán Crespo equalised five minutes later, goals from Fernando Morientes and Shabani Nonda after 78 and 83 minutes provided Monaco with a two-goal cushion for the return leg. Chelsea regained control by levelling the tie at Stamford Bridge with goals from Jesper Grønkjær and Frank Lampard, but Monaco hit back through Hugo Ibarra and Morientes to book their place in a final against FC Porto which the Portuguese side would win 3-0.

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Head to Head

2004/2005

European Cup Liverpool 2-0 Monaco 15-09-2004

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Deschamps' Men Realize Liverpool Task

Monaco manager Didier Deschamps stressed his players know what's at stake ahead of Tuesday's Champions League tie against Liverpool.
"This is a decisive match and we need to win if we are to continue the adventure. My players are aware of the situation," said Deschamps.

A win would assure the French club of at least a second-place position in Group A heading into the last fixture.

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DIDI - WE CAN BEAT MONACO

Dietmar Hamann insisted on Tuesday night that Liverpool still have the players to beat Monaco and mount a realistic challenge for honours both at home and in Europe, even without the injured strikeforce of Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse.

The initial blow of losing Cisse for the season after he broke his leg against Blackburn was made worse when Milan Baros pulled a hamstring while on duty for the Czech Republic. But despite losing 2-0 to Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Saturday, the German international believes Liverpool can cope with anything that's thrown at them during these difficult times.

"We have four strikers and two of them are injured at the moment," claimed Hamann. "Any team in the world would suffer if they lost their two most experienced strikers but we've won games without them in the past and we'll win games without them in the future.

"Harry Kewell played as a striker on Saturday against Middlesbrough and even though he didn't score, he did very well in attack. Florent Sinama-Pongolle is another player who can score for us in the absence of Milan and Djibril. He has improved a lot over the last two years and there are other players who can step in and score for us."

Rafael Benitez may be hindered by injuries to Baros and Cisse, but he can at least call on the services of his influential skipper Steven Gerrard in a match against Monaco that could secure qualification for the last 16 of Europe's Premier competition.

Hamann believes Gerrard's return has lifted the rest of the squad as the Reds enter a four week period that could go a long way to determining the outcome of Rafa's first season in England.

"Obviously it's never good to lose such an important player at any stage of the season," Hamann said of Gerrard. "But he played for the reserves last week, got a run out against Middlesbrough and now looks very sharp in training. It was good to see him back on the pitch on Saturday and it's a massive boost that he is available for the Monaco match."

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BENITEZ: IT'S VITAL TO SCORE FIRST

Rafael Benitez has stressed the importance of scoring the first goal in tonight's crucial Champions League encounter against Monaco as Liverpool aim to book their place in the next round of the competition.

Victory over last season's runners-up at the Stade Louis II stadium will assure the Reds of their passage to the knockout phase.

The hosts need three points just as much and Benitez is of the opinion that whoever scores first can then control the game.

"It is so important to score first, the team that does that can dictate the game," says the Anfield boss.

"If you score early on, it means the opposition must come out and attack and that leaves space to exploit. If you concede an early goal you have to go at the opposition and that can leave you vulnerable at the break with space left to exploit."

Benitez is almost certain to hand Steven Gerrard a starting role against Monaco and he's hoping the return of his influential skipper can give the Reds the lift they'll need after Saturday's disappointing defeat on Teeside.

"Stevie is vital to us," he adds. "His place in the side gives us a competitive side and leadership. We have missed him and we hope that his return can have a major influence on this game.

"It would be good to win and to qualify here, that means we will be able to relax and plan for the next game without fear."

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League UE CHAMPIONS
Match MONACO vs LIVERPOOL
Match No. 0504
Sales Close ^ 23/11/04 9:00PM

1X2

Home 1.82
Draw 3.35
Away 3.55

1/2 GOAL

Home MONACO (-1½) 3.60
Away LIVERPOOL (+1½) 1.22

TOTAL GOALS

No. of Goals

0 6.20
1 3.70
2 3.70
3 3.90
4 6.10
5 11.00
6 22.00
7 35.00
8 75.00
9+ 110.00

HALF / FULL TIME DOUBLE

Selection

H-H 3.20
H-D 12.00
H-A 27.00
D-H 4.50
D-D 5.20
D-A 6.70
A-H 27.00
A-D 13.00
A-A 6.70

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Preview - Monaco vs Liverpool

Rafael Benitez wants Steven Gerrard to strike fear into Europe and guide Liverpool into the knock-out stage of the Champions League.

The Spanish coach has seen his Liverpool side stripped bare of quality strikers through the serious injuries to Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse.

But a win over Monaco in their crunch Group A showdown will clinch a place in the knock-out stage and Gerrard is the trump card.

The Anfield skipper has been out for eight weeks with a broken foot, and returned as a second-half substitute in the disappointing defeat at Middlesbrough at the weekend.

But it is certain that he will be plunged into the crucial clash with Monaco from the start in the Stade Louis II.

Benitez has major problems with his attack but, with Gerrard in midfield, Liverpool's hopes of progressing will receive a boost.

Benitez said: ``It's important to have Stevie back. He's very important to us as a man, a player and a leader. He has the right mentality and it's vital that he produces that for the rest to follow.

``When opponents see Gerrard is on the field they think, `phew' we must be careful here because he's a great player and leader. That's what I want to see in Monaco.''

Benitez accepts that his side's league form is patchy but he remembers that a patched-up side produced a fine battling away win against Deportivo La Coruna in their last group match, and he demands more of the same.

If Liverpool win they are certain of a place in the next stage. Anything else will cause considerable heartache and a death or glory final group match with Olympiacos in the final match in the group.

Benitez said: ``We need another performance like we had in La Coruna. We lost (Xabi) Alonso there because of a late injury so we can cope with not having big players. We need that same mental attitude and teamwork in this game, too.

``We had a fine attitude there, and good mentality and we played far better football. We fought for the ball, kept it and played well. That increases confidence and it is what we're looking for.''

Liverpool may be crippled by injuries to their front line strikers but they can take heart from the fact that they will be facing a troubled Monaco side.

Beaten 3-1 at home by Sochaux on Friday evening, they were branded ``a disgrace'' by their own skipper Gael Givet.

Monaco have now gone eight league matches without a victory and the only successes in their last 11 matches have been in the Champions League against Deportivo and Olympiacos.

Their worried players have held a clear-the-air meeting but coach Didier Deschamps insists: ``There is no crisis.

``There was a talk between the players and it is not the first time it has happened in a club. Patience is part of my job, especially here at Monaco.''

As for advancing in the Champions League, Deschamps claims: ``Frankly I think qualification will be settled on the last day of the group. We have to suffer to get where we want to go but we are not discouraged.''

Deschamps has been handed a major boost with the return of strikers Ernesto Chevanton and Javier Saviola to the match-day squad, but the principality club will be without two key players for the clash at Stade Louis II.

Rodriguez Julien is definitely sidelined after suffering an inflammation of the cartilage in his right ankle.

Lucas Bernardi, who picked up a knock in the 3-1 defeat to Sochaux, is also absent from the 20-man squad for the clash.

Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Kallon, who have scored 12 goals between them in Ligue 1 so far this season, are both fit and expected to play a part.