Captain Steven Gerrard will be fit to lead Liverpool into the new season when Rafael Benitez's team start their Barclays Premier League campaign at Sunderland.

Gerrard was only used for the final 24 minutes of the disappointing Champions League draw against Standard Liege on Wednesday following a thigh injury but will be in the side at the Stadium of Light after training on Thursday and Friday. Click to continue reading...

XABI ALONSO has told Liverpool he wants to leave Anfield – but is likely to be priced out of a move to Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder's future has been the subject of debate throughout the summer, particularly with Rafael Benitez intent on signing Gareth Barry.

Alonso was on the verge of a £16m move to Juventus until the deal collapsed with the Italian side signing Sevilla's Christian Poulsen instead. Click to continue reading...

As we've reported here previously, Standard Liege's American defender Oguchi Onyewu has drawn interest from FC Koeln, Fulham lately (not to mention Marseilles an Lazio back in January). With French legend Lilliam Thuram being forced into retirement by a heart condition, PSG remain in the market for a central defender. Click to continue reading...

United legend Roy Keane has tipped rivals Chelsea to win the title, when saying that they have a new manager and there's no African Cup of Nations distraction to worry about. It was probably a throwaway line, but it was one that will have bemused United supporters on the eve of another Premier League season. Click to continue reading...

Friday

19:30 Bayern Munich v Hamburger SV, Bundesliga, Setanta Sports 1
If Bild were English they'd no doubt have used the headline "HAMBURGLED" after Real Madrid made their last minute raid on Hamburg's Rafael van der Vaart. Nevertheless, despite the Dutchman's absence this is a cracking game to kick-off the Bundesliga season and Klinsie's reign at Bayern. Click to continue reading...

Dirk Kuyt believes Liverpool's Belgian battering has given them "the kick we needed" – and warned Sunderland to beware a backlash tomorrow.

The Anfield outfit were fortunate to escape with a goalless draw from their Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege on Wednesday night.

It was an alarming start to the new campaign for Rafael Benitez's side, who were indebted to a sparkling performance from goalkeeper Pepe Reina that included a penalty save. Click to continue reading...

On the eve of the new Barclays Premier League campaign Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina has spoken of his belief that Rafael Benitez has assembled a squad capable of winning 'the most difficult competition in the world'.

With hopes and expectations high ahead of the big kick-off Reina - Liverpool's penalty saving hero against Standard Liege on Wednesday night - insists the Reds have never been better equipped to end their 18-year wait for the title to return to Anfield. Click to continue reading...

Another name has been added to the list of suitors for Xabi Alonso, as AC Milan have now been linked with the Liverpool midfielder.

Alonso's future has been up in the air all summer long, as the Reds' pursuit of Gareth Barry was expected to signal the end of the Spaniard's stay at Anfield. Click to continue reading...

Standard Liege 0 - 0 Liverpool
Reina saves blushes

FC Twente 0 - 2 Arsenal
Not pretty, but Arsenal get the job done

Barcelona 4 - 0 Wisla Krakow
Stroll in the Camp for Barca


All The Scores Click to continue reading...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said that his side were fortunate to have escaped from their Champions League third qualifying round, first-leg match at Standard Liege with their interest in the competition still intact.

Liege were highly unfortunate not to have won after a storming performance in front of their fanatical fans. Click to continue reading...

Pepe Reina accepts Liverpool must step up their game if they're to see off the challenge of Standard Liege and qualify for the group stages of this season's Champions League.

The Reds arrived back from Belgium in the early hours of this morning after a disappointing display in Liege ensured the third round tie remained firmly in the balance ahead of the Anfield return in two weeks' time. Click to continue reading...

Andriy Voronin's days at Liverpool appear to be numbered following the Ukrainian striker's admission that his first-team prospects are non-existent.

Voronin has endured a less than stellar time of things since arriving at Anfield on a free transfer last summer.

Despite leap-frogging Peter Crouch in the pecking order last season - much to the bewilderment of many, it must be said - the 29-year-old failed to establish himself in the starting XI due to a combination of injury, poor form and the brilliance of Fernando Torres. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's Champions League ambitions were dented Wednesday with a far from impressive 0-0 draw in Belgium against Standard Liege. If it wasn't for a penalty save by Jose Reina and a missed goal by the Norwegian ref Tom Henning Ovrebo, Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez would be telling his U.S. owners that the £20m that they [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's season began with a stutter as they drew 0-0 with Standard Liege in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier in Belgium.

Liverpool paired Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane together for the first time in competitive action but the duo failed to gel and the Reds can count themselves fortunate to be going back to England on level terms. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool new-signing Robbie Keane has stressed that he has his own style, and will not try to be Reds version of David Villa, but will strive to deliver the goods in partnership with Reds' ace Fernando Torres to be as prolific a combination as the two Spaniards are for their country.

The Republic of Ireland forward signed for the Reds this summer in a big-money move from Tottenham, thus giving boss Rafa Benitez plenty of options with his versatility. Click to continue reading...

Granted it was a truly awful performance from the lads but there's no need to lose any sleep over it. Standard Liege, despite fielding a few kids were clearly up for what was likely their biggest match of the season. No doubt in a couple of weeks we should beat them at home though.
With Alonso now cup tied it's unlikely we'll sell him this year so hopefully Rafa will invest in a much needed (and desired) winger now instead of Gareth Barry. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool played a scoreless draw at Standard Liege that may frighten their supporters a bit but ultimately shouldn't be enough to derail their bid for the group stage. After all, Champions League seasons have been Reds' saving grace for most of the decade. Expect this season to be no different.

Greek club Olympiakos, on the other hand, may not be so fortunate. Click to continue reading...

There is more LIVE football action for you to follow tonight as there are TWO competitions to follow - if the drama tonight is as good as last night's then we will be in for another cracking evening.Tonight Liverpool are in Belgium to play Standard Liege in the first leg of the Champions League Qualifier and in the same competition, Arsenal travel to Holland to play Twente Enschede, now managed by former England manager Steve McClaren. Click to continue reading...

The hulking American said that Standard Liege's draw wasn't fair and that the Belgian league champs should be granted an easy route to the UCL group stage.

But then after saying the Belgian league deserves more, Onyewu claims he can't leave it fast enough:

"I've always said that my ambitions are to leave Belgium for a bigger league.

Click to continue reading...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is refusing to be drawn on the continuing transfer speculation surrounding the Anfield club as he prepares for tonight's Champions League qualifying match against Standard Liege.

Speaking ahead of Liverpool's first leg game, Benitez would not be drawn on the proposed Gareth Barry deal which hit the headlines again this weekend, after Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry declared Villa's price tag to be too high. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez is backing Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane to strike terror into defences across Europe this season – starting in Belgium tonight.

Liverpool begin their campaign this evening against Standard Liege in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Benitez is hopeful that Steven Gerrard will have shrugged off a thigh problem to lead his team out at the intimate Stade Maurice Dufrasne. Click to continue reading...

On watching his team paired against Liverpool in the Champions League draw, a disbelieving Standard Liege coach László Bölöni admitted to responding with a choice expletive.

Rafael Benitez, though, would be forgiven for muttering a few swear words of his own given the less-than-ideal preparations for tonight's crucial final qualifying round first leg in Belgium. Click to continue reading...

Striker Dirk Kuyt has reiterated how happy he is at Liverpool.

Rafael Benitez was quick to play down media speculation last week linking the player with a move elsewhere - words which came as music to the Dutch international's ears.

"I'm really happy at Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as the club wants me," Kuyt told Liverpoolfc. Click to continue reading...

From Euro 2008 to Wimbledon and the Tour de France, this has been the summer of the Spaniard and here, in a stadium situated between a steelworks and grassed-over slag heaps, Rafael Benitez launched his own quest for glory.

The Champions League is his banker; the tournament that has earned the manager his place in the Liverpool pantheon. Click to continue reading...

Our man Ives from SBI just posted a rundown of how all of the Americans Outsourced to Europe™ fared on the continent over the weekend. One player was left off of the list an he probably had the biggest game of them all: Oguchi Onyewu.

The Standard Liege defender had a game a large as his body, scoring twice in a 3-1 over Anderlecht in the Belgian Super Cup. Click to continue reading...