Preview: Liverpool back on the pitch after being out during a European week
Champions League football; these are the three words resounding on the minds of Liverpool’s board, management, players and supporters worldwide. The five-time European winners have been out of the continent’s most prestigious competition for too long. However, they are on track to fulfilling their dream of a Top Four finish in the Premier League this season.
Fired up for Sunday’s fixture at home to Swansea City, striker Luis Suarez explained to Liverpool Echo:
“I want to be there with Liverpool. It's an unbelievable competition. It's where we want to be – playing against the top teams in Europe.
“I watched the games on TV this week and when you hear that Champions League music that's motivation in itself.”
Liverpool were controversially dumped out of the FA Cup from Arsenal last weekend. The EPL is therefore their only hope. Speaking to the club’s official website, coach Brendan Rodgers declared:
“The first job is to consolidate our place in the top four. Once you're in there then you can look beyond that. Our ambitions are still further but we have to take it game by game.
“We just want to keep pushing. Over the course of these next 12 games, we will be prepared and ready to get maximum points. We know that will be difficult but we have real confidence at the moment in our game.”
Swansea City could suffer from the Merseyside Reds’ immense desire to play Champions League football again. In 2014, Liverpool have not lost any of their seven league games, scoring 22 goals in the process. Swansea, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw at home to Napoli in the UEFA Europa League in midweek. They will have to score and avoid defeat in Italy or crash out of the competition next Thursday.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Liverpool vs Swansea City live on Sunday, February 23, 2014:
In Canada at 8:30 ET:
Canada | TalkSport Radio, Sportsnet World |
In UK at 13:30 GMT:
United Kingdom | LFC TV Online, BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live |
In USA at 8:30 ET:
United States | NBC Sports Live Extra, Benfica TV 1, TalkSport Radio, NBCSN, SiriusXM FC |
Visit the Liverpool-Swansea City match page for worldwide live listings and live scores.