PSV. Are we home and dry?

[Kopite_Colin]

Me too. But I wouldn't play anyone who's liable to get a daft / unexpected yellow card. 1st away leg of the semis is SO important.

[Red_hot]

Ive never seen you talk about football before.

I was bored! And I'm getting braver.

[cobain]

A goal early on for us and we're into the Semi's.

But are we home and dry regardless? An early goal for them, then another around the 75-80 minute mark and we are in for a nervous ending. 3-3 into extra time and their tails will be up. Should we rest players or put out a first choice 11? Are we taking this game to lightly?

For the record I think we will go through but not sure it will be as easy as it seems everyone thinks it will be.

Nah I think we're safely through to the semis. Maybe we'll lose 0-1 or something like that, but still we're through. Can't see PSV bagging three goals at Anfield.

But it would be excited if they can do the Galatasaray!

[Parm]

A goal early on for us and we're into the Semi's.

But are we home and dry regardless? An early goal for them, then another around the 75-80 minute mark and we are in for a nervous ending. 3-3 into extra time and their tails will be up. Should we rest players or put out a first choice 11? Are we taking this game to lightly?

For the record I think we will go through but not sure it will be as easy as it seems everyone thinks it will be.

We're almost there, if we can get an early goal then it'll be over. But we do need to see the gameout, nothing silly from us,keep it simple and the rest will follow.

[johnly]

id guess that Bayern will qualify ahead of Milan, and the other two games would be more of a coin flip, its hard to seperate them.

Yeah I think Bayern will go through too. Not sure about Roma and the scum yet though. Can't make a prediciton there

[The Wolfman]

I was bored! And I'm getting braver.

get angry too.

[Draxdor]

More good news for Eindhoven...from uefa.com

PSV teenagers travel to Anfield
Monday, 9 April 2007

Injury problems have forced the PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman to name two untested teenagers in his 18-man squad for Wednesday's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg at Liverpool FC.

Rens van Eijden, a 19-year-old central defender, and left-back Olivier ter Horst, 18, were both taken by surprise by their promotion from the youth set-up according to a report on PSV's website. Ibrahim Afellay, Jan Kromkamp, Edison Méndez, Michael Reiziger and Alex are all absent through injury, while forward Diego Tardelli damaged his ankle in training today and is uncertain to play at Anfield where the Dutch champions will attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit.

[Morph]

lol, proper buggered arent they

[Fiddy]

I'm just glad we can all chill out a bit this week, and enjoy the Mancs & Chavs sweating til the last second over their games

[lfc4ever]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premiership/liverpool/article1632951.ece

Liverpool build fourth bridge

Our correspondent on the battle to ensure Champions League security

Tony Evans

It is far too early for Liverpool to be confident of reaching the Champions League final in Athens next month, but Sami Hyypia believes that everything is falling into place for the Anfield side to make a run at their sixth European Cup without too many distractions. While Manchester United and Chelsea are embroiled in a tussle at the top of the Barclays Premiership, Liverpool appear poised to take third place — and with it the precious spot in next season’s Champions League.

Leading PSV Eindhoven 3-0 in their quarter-final, with the second leg at Anfield tomorrow night, Liverpool took three points with a late goal away to Reading on Saturday. They were further boosted when Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers, the teams immediately below them in the table, drew their games yesterday. It leaves Rafael Benítez’s team with a seven-point cushion over their domestic pursuers with six games left, and Bolton visit the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal on Saturday. It appears unthinkable that Liverpool could slip out of the top four from such a position of strength.

“It’s important for us to secure at least fourth, and the sooner we do it the better so we can concentrate on the Champions League,” Hyypia said. “When you start the season, that’s the minimum target. There could be more important games in the Champions League to come, and if we know we’ve already secured our top four position, it’s better for us.”

The late victory over Reading — sealed by an 86th-minute headed goal from Dirk Kuyt — gave Liverpool some breathing space, but Hyypia admitted that the victory was fortunate. “It was a hard win,” the Finland centre half said. “Reading kept going and we didn’t play particularly well, but the result was good. They didn’t have many chances and Pepe [José Manuel Reina] didn’t need to make many saves, but sometimes you need an extra bit of luck and maybe we had that to get the three points.

“Now we can focus all our thoughts on the PSV game. We’ve a good starting point going into that, but there’s still work to do.”

PSV, by contrast, had a much more uncomfortable weekend. Although still top of the Eredivisie, they slumped to a 2-1 defeat away to NEC Nijmegen. Ronald Koeman’s side have not won for six successive games and only held on to their top place in the table because Ajax drew 2-2 with RKC Waalwijk on Sunday in a game that the Amsterdam side were expected to win.

“We felt pretty confident when we travelled to Nijmegen,” Koeman said. “We welcomed back some key players from injury and knew what was at stake. We had a decent start, but NEC scored two goals and could have scored as many as six. I am bitterly disappointed and upset by our lack of organisation.”

Arouna Koné, who was injured in the Champions League tie with Arsenal last month, and Jefferson Farfán, who limped off against Liverpool, returned for PSV and are expected to be fit for the match at Anfield, but the Dutch side have little hope of overturning the three-goal deficit.

However, Benítez was keen to make sure his side keep their concentration. “We know there have been comebacks from 3-0 down in the Champions League,” the Liverpool manager said. “These kinds of games are difficult. Sometimes teams say ‘OK, the job is done’. But we have to be careful. We know if they score an early goal they will push forward and we could have problems.

“We must approach the game the same as we did against Barcelona and try to win. We do not go into the game thinking a draw will be enough. We need to go for a win. Hopefully, we will reach the semi-final of the Champions League and I hope we can be sure we are in the top four so we can concentrate on that.”

[Fiddy]

However, Benítez was keen to make sure his side keep their concentration. “We know there have been comebacks from 3-0 down in the Champions League,” the Liverpool manager said. “These kinds of games are difficult. Sometimes teams say ‘OK, the job is done’. But we have to be careful. We know if they score an early goal they will push forward and we could have problems.

He's not wrong there

Unfortunately that night we had class, heart, and Stevie Gerrard, three things which PSV lack

[mersey86]

Not only are we home and dry, we've had a shower and have got our feet up on the couch. Next question?

[Kinell]

Not only are we home and dry, we've had a shower and have got our feet up on the couch. Next question?

whats for tea?

[darkknight]

Easy for us to think like that - hope RB, SG and co. are not.

[Red_hot]

Not only are we home and dry, we've had a shower and have got our feet up on the couch. Next question?

I wonder if AC Milan thought that at half time in the CL final.