Borini: Why Basel will pose tough task Fabio Borini is anticipating an altogether different test to their recent domestic challenges as Liverpool return to Champions League action with a trip to FC Basel on Wednesday evening. In the fortnight that has passed since Brendan Rodgers side opened their Group B campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Ludogorets Razgrad, the fixtures have arrived thick and fast. An away defeat by West Ham United in the Barclays Premier League was followed by a dramatic Capital One Cup shootout with Middlesbrough and the unique emotions of a Merseyside derby. Borini was introduced for the final quarter of the win over Ludogorets, before a surge of goals ultimately saw Steven Gerrard dispatch a penalty at the Kop end to secure a crucial result. The 23-year-old believes European participation demands even more of the Reds in a tactical sense, especially given the pedigree of Basel, who narrowly missed out on the knockout stages last season. Its going to be a hard place to play, as Ludogorets was because we won 2-1 in the last minute and it wasnt easy, the Italian forward told Liverpoolfc. It was a good experience. I have played in the Champions League before and it was good, so its nice to see the club back in the Champions League after so many years. As players, we needed to have that kind of competition because its really important to grow as a player by playing those kinds of games. They are not like English games - they are completely different in the tempo and control. Tactically, it is harder than in England. On the opening matchday of the Champions League, as the Reds were edging past the Bulgarian champions, Swiss outfit Basel suffered a 5-1 loss against holders Real Madrid in Spain. Though the result appears heavy, Paulo Sousas team almost matched the La Liga giants in possession and launched 16 attempts at goal across the 90 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. Borini is therefore well versed in the potential threat posed by Liverpools hosts tomorrow night, though the No.29 is equally aware of the difference three more points could make to the travellers. He explained: It would give us confidence to face one of the biggest teams in the world in the next game in the group, and would give us a good gap between the other two teams. It would maybe give us a chance to be more relaxed against Real Madrid and not thinking that we need to win otherwise we are out. It would take a little bit of pressure off. We saw that Basel can score goals if they take all their chances. If they are more clinical, they can be really dangerous, even if they lost 5-1 against Real Madrid. Its going to be a hard game because they play football and are a good side. They have been in the Champions League for the past few years so they have experience in the competition and they can play. The forward was not part of the squad as Everton snatched a remarkable draw on Saturday, with Phil Jagielka cracking a volley into the top corner one minute into added time to claim a 1-1 draw. It was a bitter end to the 223rd meeting between the two rivals from either side of Stanley Park for Rodgers charges, who had dominated the encounter for large periods and also struck the crossbar. Borini took encouragement from the standard of Liverpools performance, however, and explained why maximum levels will follow once the clubs summer signings gel fully with their new teammates. In a derby, it helps to get more confidence because you push yourself harder for the game - its for the fans and for the pride of the city, for at least a few months, he said. That really helps in the emotional side of the game. We showed better tempo and better control of the game. Obviously conceding in the last minute is a point that tells us to be concentrated until the last minute. Jagielka scored an unbelievable goal that maybe if he tried 100 times he would never do again. But its still part of concentration. The league is a long league - we have got lots of competition and lots of games. Playing more together is going to help to gel all of the new players into the team and the style of play that we want to play here. Thats going to take time, as is learning a new language for some of them. Its going to take time. For a team that wants to win, you cant rely on only one player. So we need to build up team play and be confident in ourselves. The team is made up of individuals and if the individuals all work well together they are going to create a good team performance.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:00:00 +0000
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