Liverpool take the tough trip to Germany as they face Borussia Dortmund in the 1st leg of their quarter-final Europa league clash. Jurgen Klopp will visit his former club and this fixture will bring back the nostalgia for the manager. Dortmund stormed their way to the quarter-finals as they knocked out Tottenham with a hefty margin of four goals. Liverpool will need to demonstrate a resolute performance in defence if they want to stand any chance of qualifying further. Along with this, Klopp’s men will also be on the hunt to get that crucial away goal. Here is a look at the predicted line-up.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Simon Mignolet
The Belgian will have to be rock-solid between the posts to stop the onslaught of Aubameyang and Reus.
Defence: Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno
Nathaniel Clyne will start as the right-back for Liverpool. Jon Flanagan was not registered for this competition and hence cannot start for the Reds. Lovren and Sakho are the obvious first choice defenders for Liverpool. Alberto Moreno should be starting as the left-back. The Liverpool backline will need to stop the RAM machine (Reus, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan) as the trio has been in devastating form for Dortmund.
Midfield: Can, Henderson
Emre Can will play at the defensive midfield position like he has been playing for majority of the season. He will need to support the backline in winning the midfield battles and also give defensive depth to the side. Jordan Henderson should start the game as the central midfielder as Klopp cannot afford to start Allen in place of Henderson.
Attacking midfield: Milner, Coutinho, Lallana
There are question marks on the fitness of Firmino and he might not start for Liverpool in this game. In his absence, Milner should take up the right flank. Philippe Coutinho has been effective on the left-flank and Klopp is trying to make him a permanent winger especially after the arrival of Firmino. Adam Lallana should start in the attacking midfield position as he has shown decent form in the last few games and together this trio can capitalize on any glitches in the Dortmund backline.
Striker: Sturridge
Even though Divock Okoth Origi is showing glimpses of his talent in recent games, Daniel Sturridge should be the man to start for Liverpool up-front. This is a big occasion for the players and Sturridge has the experience and the abilities to score in the important fixtures. He can also pounce on any chances presented to him inside the box and can try to get that important away goal for Liverpool.
