It was not so long ago that an animated Laszlo Boloni could be found overseeing training at Al Jazira's quaint training ground in front of an audience providing about as much noise as one man and a dog. It should get a little hairier for the Romanian coach and his Standard Liege side in Liverpool this evening.
A crowd approaching 40,000 should shuffle into Anfield, and they will expect a club who have won the European Cup five times to take their place in the group stages of this year's tournament. Boloni will attempt to lift the Belgium champions, and try to shake off any recriminations that may still linger in their midst from the first-leg encounter two weeks ago. Liege could and should have carried an advantage into the second leg. They were wasteful in front of goal, while the Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved Costa Santos Bonfim Dante's penalty.
Boloni is no stranger to goalless outcomes in recent times. His final game as Jazira coach ended in a 0-0 draw against Al Shabab in May. It was a result that cost his side the opportunity to claim the national title in the UAE. A similar outcome tonight would probably be welcomed to take the game to extra-time, but Liege are highly unfancied to progress. Standard have beaten FCV Dender EH 3-1 and KVC Westerlo 3-0 to head the league standings in Belgium, but this is a meatier challenge. Dieudonné Mbokani Bezua could test Liverpool after finding a notable run of form with four goals in two games.
Boloni is hopeful that Standard can perform at Anfield. "They have a super stadium, so do we," he said. "They have super fans, so do we. They have super players, so do we. They have the only thing my team lack, lads who have 40 matches of Premier League experience." The Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is expected to be fit from a groin tweak to lead the same team who downed Middlesbrough on Saturday. Sami Hyypia should recover from a hamstring problem. Xabi Alonso and Jermaine Pennant will be involved, despite speculation that they could be moved on before the transfer window finally closes.
Espanyol winger Albert Riera is close to finalising his £8million (Dh54m) move to Liverpool. Espanyol sporting director Paco Herrera said: "Everything is going well and a deal can be reached. " Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger revealed "congestion" at the centre of the Arsenal defence prompted his decision to allow Philippe Senderos to join AC Milan on loan. The 23-year-old Switzerland international had a medical with the Serie A club yesterday.
Wenger, whose side host the former England coach Steve McClaren's Dutch club FC Twente tonight holding a 2-0 first-leg lead, feels he now has plenty of cover in defence. He said: "At the moment, he [Senderos] does not get the games here, and so now he can play somewhere and remains in a top-level club. We want him to play without losing him." The Gunners have been boosted by the news that inspirational midfielder Cesc Fabregas is set to return from a hamstring injury for the game at the Emirates.
@Email:dkane@thenational.ae
