LUTON V LIVERPOOL: MATCH PREVIEW
， 描述： ~~~利物浦官方新闻~~~
If you believe in omens then you may feel the Third Round draw away to Luton will be the first step on a road that will almost certainly lead to FA Cup glory.
Whether that is what transpires and our name truly is on the FA Cup, only time will tell, but who would bet against the Travelling Kop making their first appearance at the New Wembley in May?
Back in the 2005/06 season the road led to Cardiff and it began, rather eerily, with a third round trip to Kenilworth Road.
On that occasion Liverpool famously stormed back from a 3-1 deficit, to avoid what would have been a major cup shock, and clinch a 5-3 victory.
Xabi Alonso was the hero that day, scoring two magnificent goals - the second from inside his own half.
Rafa will be hoping for a less dramatic encounter this time around, and will be determined to ensure his side progress without any scares particularly as the Hatters are struggling near the foot of the League One table.
However, on closer examination, recent results have raised confidence and Luton's fight against relegation is largely down to a 10-point deduction they received after going into administration back in November.
In fact they have suffered just one defeat in 11 league matches at Kenilworth Road, and their home form was a key factor in their 1-0 victory over promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest in round two.
In the Carling Cup they have already proved their giant-killing pedigree with wins over Sunderland and Charlton and were just one minute away from taking Everton to penalties as they just missed out on a place in the last eight of the competition.
All these factors highlight just how tricky the match could be for Liverpool, who will be looking to bounce back following the frustrating 1-1 draw with Wigan on Wednesday night.
The Reds have been dealt a triple injury blow ahead of the tie with Steven Gerrard, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio all ruled out, while Benitez is yet to decide whether to reintroduce Sami Hyypia or long-term absentee Daniel Agger.
With so many defensive problems to contend with Luton will feel they have a good chance of an upset and the set piece ability of David Bell could prove significant as could the attacking ability of dangerman Matthew Spring.
When all is said and done the Reds should have too much for Kevin Blackwell's men but the romance of the cup can so often inspire an FA Cup giant-killing and Liverpool will need to remain focused if they are to make sure their name is in the hat for the fourth round draw |
發表於 2008-1-6 12:49 AM
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發表於 2008-1-6 09:22 AM
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