Liverpool play Scottish giants Rangers for the first time in a competitive match ever at Anfield tomorrow night in a Champions League group stage clash. Kick-off is 20:00 BST and since it's the Rangers' first time coming to Liverpool, you can expect a raucous atmosphere.
It is Liverpool's 3rd Champions League group stage match for this campaign and their first since a 2-1 win against Ajax on September 13th. As it stands, Liverpool are tied for second in Group A with Ajax with 3 points. Napoli remain perfect in the group and play Ajax tomorrow.
Rangers have struggled in Group A to this point. They lost to Ajax 4-0 on September 7th and Napoli 3-0 on September 14th. This could be a double-edged sword for Liverpool. On one hand, Rangers appear to be an easy 3 points if you go by their previous performances. On the other hand, they will be desperate for a win tomorrow night.
The Reds are still only at the beginning of a crazy 6 weeks that see them playing 13 matches. This is the 2nd match in that span and the latest opportunity to get their season on track. If a Premier League title is slipping out of view, then maybe it's time to focus on winning another Champions League.
Back to Basics
In his press conference on Monday afternoon, Jürgen Klopp talked about his team getting back to basics in terms of their game plan. Specifically, he talked about the defence playing more like they did in their last Champions League match.
That would be a welcomed change from the open door policy that the Reds seemed to have for Leandro Trossard and Brighton over the weekend. Being that this match is so soon after the draw on Saturday might be a good thing, especially in terms of getting back to basics.
The easiest changes for a team to make in a short period of time are to double down on what has worked in the past. Making sure that the backline is stout and being able to build the team out from there would seem to be the best way to handle Rangers.
Looking at Rangers
Rangers are one of the two biggest teams to play in the Scottish Premier League. They were the runners-up in the Europa League last May. Currently, they are in 2nd place in the Scottish league, just 3 points behind their ancient rivals and other Scottish giant Celtic.
As unbelievable as it might seem, these two titans of football have never met in a competitive match. That automatically makes tomorrow night's match a special occasion. Even if their stay in the Champions League is a short one, Rangers coming to Anfield is a remarkable event.
Rangers are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. They are one of the grand old clubs in all of world football. If you know your Liverpool history, you know that makes them 20 years older than even our beloved Reds.
Their home ground, Ibrox, is one of the oldest football grounds in the world. It might even be more legendary than Anfield. Tomorrow's game will be a historical occasion and the Rangers supporters will come down from Glasgow ready for the spotlight.
LFC Globe Verdict
Whatever happens in the match tomorrow, it will be a special European night at Anfield. While Scotland isn't as exotic as Spain or Italy, it is a separate league. Champions League or Europa League matches are the only way two giants like Liverpool and Rangers will ever get to play each other competitively.
The points will be crucial in Group A, especially for Liverpool. The Reds might very well need to win tomorrow night if they want to get to the knock-out stages. Rangers will want to play the spoiler and their fans will be keen to show out against another big time club. The verdict is… Anfield will be rocking and you better be watching.
