Liverpool are back in Europa League action on Thursday and their visitors, LASK, will arrive with a spring in their step after a narrow 1-0 victory that keeps them in the top three.
The Reds can confirm their place as group winners if two things happen later in the week. They must first beat LASK and Toulouse must fail to win against Union SG.
Liverpool sit at the top of Group E and LASK sit at the bottom with three points, which they secured last time out against Union SG.
And they will arrive at Anfield off the back of a 1-0 victory, with Thomas Sageder’s side narrowly inflicting defeat on second from the bottom WSG Tirol on Saturday afternoon.
The Austrian Bundesliga clash kicked off an hour-and-a-half after Liverpool’s draw at Man City, with captain Robert Zulg scoring the only goal of the match, his 10th of the season.
Victory for LASK keeps them within five points of league leaders Salzburg in third position after 15 games, and puts them back on the winner’s board after a loss last time out.
Sageder deployed a similar formation to the one against the Reds in September, with a 3-4-2-1 approach returning a narrow win after scoring in the 14th minute.
The performance was described by Sky Sport Austria as a “lacklustre but successful dress rehearsal” for their trip to Anfield, with six players who faced Liverpool earlier this season involved.
They had to contend with snowy conditions, something that will not be expected on Merseyside, and LASK do not want to be considered tourists for their visit.
“We don’t want to go there as tourists,” manager Sageder said. “It’s just a football game that you always have some chance of winning. We want to demand everything from them there.”
The Austrian side expect to have left-back Rene Renner and midfielder Sascha Horvath available after illness forced their absence over the weekend.
Since their meeting with Liverpool back in September, they have been inconsistent with seven wins, four defeats and three draws.
LASK XI vs. WSG Tirol: Lawal; Ziereis, Andrade, Talovierov; Stojkovic (Flecker 70′), Ljubic, Jovicic (Michorl 75′), Bello; Ljubicic (Mustapha 70′), Usor (Goiginger 70′); Zulj
Subs not used: Siebenhandl, Luckeneder, Pintor
