Liverpool look for Anfield joy as Champions League hit by coronavirus

A fan wearing a protective mask attends at the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. Photo: Jon Super/AP Photo

A fan wearing a protective mask attends at the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. Photo: Jon Super/AP Photo

Published Mar 9, 2020

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BERLIN – Holders Liverpool have a tough challenge to overcome a

1-0 deficit to Atletico Madrid in the return leg of their last 16 tie

in the Champions League on Wednesday.

However, this week's games are taking place in the shadow of the

coronavirus emergency which sees two matches behind closed doors:

Valencia's Tuesday home leg against Italian side Atalanta, and Paris

Saint-German v Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

RB Leipzig discussed Monday with health authorities a possible

closed-door game against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday but it was

decided to go ahead with the match as normal.

Liverpool's game at Anfield was also to go ahead as planned pending a

meeting between sports governing bodies and government officials.

After losing against a defensively tough Atletico in Madrid,

Liverpool will need all the backing of the Kop, which has helped them

to so many magical European nights, if they are to progress against

Diego Simeone's side.

Manager Juergen Klopp will hope his team can build on a 2-1 win over

Bournemouth in the Premier League after a dip in form and is waiting

on the fitness of captain Jordan Henderson, who has returned to

training following a hamstring injury. Keeper Alisson Becker is still

out with a hip injury.

Simeone should have a fully-fit squad and will be out to avoid a

repeat of last season's exit when his side surrendered a 2-0 lead by

losing the second leg at Juventus 3-0.

Midfielder Marcos Llorente dismissed the idea that Liverpool's first

defeat in the Premier League recently would affect them in the second

leg.

"That's one tournament and the Champions League is another," he said.

"It will be difficult. It was very tough for us at home and it will

not be any easier there. We have to start the game at full power

because that is exactly what they will do."

Borussia Dortmund take a slender 2-1 lead to Paris as one of the

Bundesliga trio, along with Leipzig and Bayern Munich, trying to

reach the quarter-finals.

The Bundesliga has not had three sides in the last eight of the

competition since the only previous occasion in 1997-98, but Dortmund

will need to be defensively at their best against ex-Dortmund coach

Thomas Tuchel's side.

PSG have lost only three of their past 54 home games in Europe but

the absence of home support in Parc des Princes could work to the

advantage of the German visitors.

"We need to believe in ourselves and be 100 per cent present from the

beginning," midfielder Emre Can said.

Valencia have to overcome a 4-1 defeat against surprise package

Atalanta in an empty Mestalla stadium as the Bergamo side travel to

Spain from Lombardy, one of Italy's zones heavily hit by the

coronavirus outbreak.

Valencia captain Dani Parejo said he could not understand the

decision to play without spectators as the city is preparing for its

biggest street festival, Las Fallas, when crowds gather in the street

to celebrate the arrival of spring with bonfires and fireworks.

"We are able to walk around the streets full of people because of Las

Fallas but we can't play our most important game of the season in

front of our supporters," he said on social media.

Leipzig are in the driving seat thanks to Timo Werner's penalty for a

1-0 win at Tottenham, who are still missing forwards Harry Kane and

Son Heung Min.

But Spurs overcame Ajax in last season's semi-final when in a similar

position, and midfielder Dele Alli said: "We've showed the character

we have in this squad throughout the years we've been together, and

this is a tough period for us in terms of results, but I believe we

can turn it around."

The round will be completed next week with the return legs Juventus v

Lyon, Manchester City v Real Madrid, Bayern Munich v Chelsea, and

Barcelona v Napoli.

dpa

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coronavirus