Europa Semi Final (!!!) Build Up - Atletico Madrid

[Mike]

The irritating thing with Babel was summed up with Lyon away.

Scores a brilliant goal, absolute scorcher - then takes a free kick that goes out for a throw in instead of the net

I think tomorrow he will score, dont know why just a hunch.

[Lee]

Nervous about this one but I can't wait. Well up for it.

[SB]

RYAN BABEL is relishing the chance to prove a point by firing Liverpool into the Europa League final at Anfield tonight.

With Fernando Torres out and injury doubts surrounding Dirk Kuyt and David N’Gog, Babel is likely to be up front against Atletico Madrid.


And, with Liverpool hoping to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, Holland international Babel is fully aware of the role he must play.


GENERAL ELECTION 2010: NEWS, POLLS, MAPS, GAMES AND ANALYSIS...


He needs no reminding about the criticism directed his way after repeated dips in form since his £11.5m move from Ajax three years ago.


He said: “Playing in such a big game means you can prove people wrong and try to be important for the team.


“It brings more out of me. You know the team needs you and finds you important and that gives you a boost to show you are important. That’s a different feeling from if you’re not.


“I feel more part of the team now. My first season was the best, and then I had two lesser years, but definitely I learned a lot then and that makes me more mature.”


And it was a chat with boss Rafa Benitez that helped turn his fortunes around, leaving him saying: “I feel much better now.


“I was told what they expect from certain positions and from me. We had a good conversation and that gave me confidence to work on those things.


“It was a good talk and now I’m focused on the things I don’t do well yet. It was more tactical. As an attacker, I love to attack more than defend, but also you have to defend as a team.


“You have to be stronger and it was a big difference from Ajax and that’s why I needed a longer time to switch on, but now I know I am better.”


He has repeatedly been linked with moves away from Anfield but said: “At the moment, it’s Liverpool and I am aware of being part of a big club. You don’t switch big clubs easily, so I am happy to be part of Liverpool, and that’s where my focus is.


“I think it is very important that you should work hard, that is a key word you hear every day.”


He is determined to help Liverpool finish off a disappointing season by making it to the final in Hamburg next month.


He said: “I will be ready for Madrid – as will everyone in the team. We are fully aware of the importance of this game. We are a goal down, but none of our heads were down in the dressing room afterwards because we knew we had the second leg to put it right.


“Luckily enough, we have to play it at Anfield. That is an advantage because on European evenings, we can always make them special and we certainly have confidence now.


“I would be so proud to finish the season with a European medal.


“If we can go that far, at the end of the season we will be able to look back and see things a little better.”


Babel scored Liverpool’s final goal in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Burnley and said: “When you can win with a couple of goals, it is always really good for confidence.We know it is in the balance. We lost 1-0 in Madrid, but I still think the situation is fair enough for us.


“After beating Burnley, we have confidence to go into the game with a big hope of getting through.”


Benitez certainly wasn’t about to disagree with the young Dutchman and neither was the Anfield laundryman, who greeted the Reds boss with a bold prediction yesterday.


The Spaniard had barely set foot into the club when he was greeted by Graham McKinley, who rushed over to give his views on tonight’s clash.


Benitez said: “When I came here, the laundryman told me it would be like the Olympiakos game all over again.

“He said it would be a great atmosphere and we’d score a late goal to win it at the end.


“He is convinced it will be like that. I told him if there was a guarantee we would win 3-1, then I’d take it right now.”

That game went down as one of the great Anfield nights as Liverpool, needing a two-goal win to survive the Champions League group stages, snatched it in the last seconds.


The late, late winner back in December 2005, just less than six months into Benitez’s reign, came from Steven Gerrard.


Benitez thinks his captain is ready for a repeat, after his finest display of the season with two goals in the Burnley win.


He added: “It was a great performance for us and him. Stevie is a leader and if you can have a leader on the pitch, the others will 100 per cent follow him.”

[Darkon]

really looking forward to the game tonight, european semi at anfield is bound to be good, and the one place we actually get results this season!

I think we have what it takes to go through to Hamburg, but it will be difficult. We really have to watch the madrid on the counter, they have some class players going forward and some very quick ones.

This is our last chance at glory this season!

[SB]

I'm absolutely pumped for this. I can't think of anything else TBH.

I'll defo have trouble sleeping tonightthinking of the game. Up at 430 and start worrying again. God it's tough being me

[Matt]

RYAN BABEL is relishing the chance to prove a point by firing Liverpool into the Europa League final at Anfield tonight.

With Fernando Torres out and injury doubts surrounding Dirk Kuyt and David N’Gog, Babel is likely to be up front against Atletico Madrid.


And, with Liverpool hoping to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, Holland international Babel is fully aware of the role he must play.


GENERAL ELECTION 2010: NEWS, POLLS, MAPS, GAMES AND ANALYSIS...


He needs no reminding about the criticism directed his way after repeated dips in form since his £11.5m move from Ajax three years ago.


He said: “Playing in such a big game means you can prove people wrong and try to be important for the team.


“It brings more out of me. You know the team needs you and finds you important and that gives you a boost to show you are important. That’s a different feeling from if you’re not.


“I feel more part of the team now. My first season was the best, and then I had two lesser years, but definitely I learned a lot then and that makes me more mature.”


And it was a chat with boss Rafa Benitez that helped turn his fortunes around, leaving him saying: “I feel much better now.


“I was told what they expect from certain positions and from me. We had a good conversation and that gave me confidence to work on those things.


“It was a good talk and now I’m focused on the things I don’t do well yet. It was more tactical. As an attacker, I love to attack more than defend, but also you have to defend as a team.


“You have to be stronger and it was a big difference from Ajax and that’s why I needed a longer time to switch on, but now I know I am better.”


He has repeatedly been linked with moves away from Anfield but said: “At the moment, it’s Liverpool and I am aware of being part of a big club. You don’t switch big clubs easily, so I am happy to be part of Liverpool, and that’s where my focus is.


“I think it is very important that you should work hard, that is a key word you hear every day.”


He is determined to help Liverpool finish off a disappointing season by making it to the final in Hamburg next month.


He said: “I will be ready for Madrid – as will everyone in the team. We are fully aware of the importance of this game. We are a goal down, but none of our heads were down in the dressing room afterwards because we knew we had the second leg to put it right.


“Luckily enough, we have to play it at Anfield. That is an advantage because on European evenings, we can always make them special and we certainly have confidence now.


“I would be so proud to finish the season with a European medal.


“If we can go that far, at the end of the season we will be able to look back and see things a little better.”


Babel scored Liverpool’s final goal in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Burnley and said: “When you can win with a couple of goals, it is always really good for confidence.We know it is in the balance. We lost 1-0 in Madrid, but I still think the situation is fair enough for us.


“After beating Burnley, we have confidence to go into the game with a big hope of getting through.”

Watch him get named on the subs bench now.

[SB]

Watch him get named on the subs bench now.

With who up front you WUM ?

[Roboklopp]

Nervous about this one to be honest.

About time Babel paid us back something- a few wildcards with him & Aqualani in there.

Let's hope there's no more bull**** decisions against us cos we've had a few in Europe of late.

[dww]

Well, with his talent for being offside he is halfway to being the new Inzaghi.

[Matt]

With who up front you WUM ?

Dirk in a wheelchair?

[Roboklopp]

Inzaghi scored goals.

[SB]

Dirk in a wheelchair?

You can't hold a good man down can you!

[SB]

Nervous about this one to be honest.

About time Babel paid us back something- a few wildcards with him & Aqualani in there.

Let's hope there's no more bull**** decisions against us cos we've had a few in Europe of late.

Amen to that brother.

[dww]

Inzaghi scored goals.

That was the half I was meaning he was missing.

[Reece]

Seen something elsewhere suggesting that Johnson will be playing LB, with Mascherano at RB. Hmmmm.