FC Gomel vs. Liverpool FC - A preview

FC Gomel vs. Liverpool FC

Match Details	First Leg Details	Second Leg Details
Game	FC Gomel vs. Liverpool FC	Liverpool FC vs. FC Gomel
Venue	Central Stadion	Anfield
Place	Gomel, Belarus	Liverpool, England
Timings	19.00 BST	20.05 BST

So, here we are. After a summer in which we saw Kenny Dalglish leave his position as Liverpool manager after a disappointing season in the Premier League and Brendan Rodgers leave Swansea City to take up the post at Anfield, we have some competitive football to enjoy!

Liverpool kick-off their season rather early compared to their Premier League rivals and this is due to the club’s involvement in the Europa League. After winning the Carling Cup in late February, Liverpool qualified for the third round of this season’s Europa League.

This means that the new manager, Brendan Rodgers, will have his first competitive fixture in a European competition! As this fixture has come round rather early in the calendar, you can expect a mix of youth and some experienced players, which allows players such as Raheem Sterling, Adam Morgan, Jonjo Shelvey & Joe Cole a chance to impress Rodgers after playing significant roles in Liverpool’s recent tour of North America.

Liverpool has opted to take Andy Carroll and Steven Gerrard along with new signing Fabio Borini, all on the trip to Belarus, which would mean that this match will be taken more as a pre-season match rather than a qualifier as all the three has not got quite as much training time as few others.

FC Gomel, managed by Oleg Kubarev, will be the opponents for Liverpool in the qualifier. The Belarusian side, who more often than not, goes in with a 4-2-3-1, joined the Europa League in the first qualifying round and has played four games so far in this season’s Europa League. They faced Vikingur in the first qualifying round and produced a comprehensive performance to beat the Faroe Islanders 10-0 on aggregate.

Gomel was then drawn against FK Renova of Macedonia in the second qualifying round. This was a much closer affair with FC Gomel taking a 2-0 lead going into the second leg. FK Renova scored early in the second half of the second leg to make the tie interesting but FC Gomel held on and secured a two-legged tie with Liverpool.

Looking at the FC Gomel squad, there are a few players who Liverpool will need to watch carefully if they are to gain a positive result from the first leg. Up-front, Vyacheslav Hleb has 2 goals in 2 games and will be one of the key players in an attacking sense for Gomel. You may also recognize his last name, and that is indeed from his elder brother, Alexander Hleb who has had spells with Arsenal and Barcelona.

In midfield, Vadzim Dzemidovich has 3 goals in 4 games and if Gomel are to gain a positive result going into the second leg at Anfield, then he and Vyacheslav Hleb will need to work well together and help create chances for Gomel.

So, can FC Gomel produce a shock in Belarus and gain a good result going into the second leg at Anfield? Will Brendan Rodgers get his Liverpool reign off to a good start? 

And will Jamie Carragher, Liverpool legend, be given his 700^th appearance? And, the question of the season, how many times will Liverpool hit the wood-work this match/season? J

Predictions

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3):

Peter Gulacsi (GK); Jon Flanagan (DEF), Jamie Carragher (DEF), Martin Skrtel (DEF), Jose Enrique (DEF); Jay Spearing (MF), Jonjo Shelvey (MF), Lucas Leiva (MF); Raheem Sterling (LW), Joe Cole (RW); Adam Morgan (ST)

Score:

FC Gomel 1-2 Liverpool FC

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