Champions League, Liverpool

Liverpool are the Champions League specialists, so on paper they should be best placed at qualifying from one of the toughest groups. But a momentary glimpse back at the troubles of last season’s group stage suggests Liverpool could be ripe for a shock exit, especially if Rafa Benítez decides to appease the supporters by focussing solely on domestic affairs and ending the long search for a Premier League title.

PSV Eindhoven

Liverpool supporters will be bored at the sight of the Dutch side, having played them four times in the 2006/7 season. Yet, despite being second seeds, PSV are unlikely to pose too many problems. Recent results between the sides suggests the Reds should be looking for four to six points against the Dutch champions.

Notable players include former Man City goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, the supremely talented Ibrahim Afellay and the prolific Danny Koevermans up front, while there will be another reunion for the ever-inconsistent defender Jan Kromkamp. Despite triumphing domestically, it has been a turbulent 12 months concerning the appointment a long-term head coach. This season they will be led by Huub Stevens but last campaign interim coach Sef Vergoossen led them to the Eredivisie title after Ronald Koeman broke his contract to go to Valencia while Jan Wouters also led the side for a couple of months. Stevens won the Uefa Cup with Schalke in 1997 and saved Hamburg from relegation in 2007.

Marseille

Another outfit Liverpool will be familiar with, having encountered Marseille in last year’s group stage. Then, in spite of Marseille’s dreadful domestic inconsistencies, the French side claimed a shock victory at Anfield but Liverpool had the last laugh in the final group game with a ruthless 4-0 thrashing at the Stade Vélodrome, a result which sent Benítez’s side through at the expense of their opponents. Marseille finished third in Ligue 1 least season, scraping into the final Champions League place on the final day of the campaign at the expense of Nancy. They also progressed into the last 16 of the Uefa Cup.

Former Liverpool player Boudewijn Zenden is still in action for Marseille while the likes of Mamadou Niang, Bakari Koné and on-loan Lyon prodigy Hatem Ben Arfa will pose problems to Liverpool’s defence. Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, once a Liverpool tqrget, is rated as one of the best in Ligue 1. Coach Eric Gerets joined last September, overseeing Marseille’s Euro campaign, and so will be well-versed in dealing with Liverpool.

Atlético Madrid

Perhaps unfairly offered fourth seed status by Uefa, they were the team in Pot 4 everyone wanted to avoid, alongside Fiorentina. There will be tears and kind words when Fernando Torres returns home (though oddly performing far better for Liverpool than he ever did for Atlético) but the Spanish side will offer the biggest test for Benítez and are favourites to join Liverpool in the knockout stages. They are the La Liga equivalent of Tottenham, spending abundantly while never managing to consistently challenge the league’s elite. Yet after years of failing, last season they at last managed to qualify for the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish.

Knocked out by a reserve Bolton side in the Uefa Cup in February, it’s painfully clear that Atlético still struggle on the big stage. Yet their squad patently has the talent to send Atlético’s long-suffering supporters into belated ecstasy. Diego Forlán might have failed with Man Utd but has been a fantastic hit in Spain, and his partnership with Sergio Agüero is one that will threaten Europe’s best defences. Argentine Agüero is a terrific young player - arguably the finest talent in Spain - and has previously been tipped for a move to one of the top four in England. Others Liverpool should be wary of include Maxi Rodríguez, new loan signing Éver Banega and playmaker Simão. Liverpool supporters will remember Florent Sinama-Pongolle, whom Atlético signed earlier this summer. Mexican Javier Aguirre is Atlético’s coach, and he continues as such despite a summer of indecision with rumours circulating that he wanted to take up the role of national team coach, a job that later went to Sven-Göran Eriksson.

Tags: Atletico Madrid, Champions League, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, Liverpool, Marseille, PSV Eindhoven, Rafa Benitez

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