[lfc-news] Reds take lead from boldCissé - Guardian

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The Guardian, 13 April 2005
Reds take lead from bold Cissé
Liverpool look for goals against Juve as striker returns to squad after
six months
Dominic Fifield in Turin

If Liverpool were seeking reassurance that they can still pluck unlikely
progress from this tie, they had only to look to the peroxide blond
restored to their ranks for inspiration. Barely six months since he
broke his leg grotesquely, Djibril Cissé flew with the squad to Italy
and could play some part in tonight's daunting second leg at Juventus
with the visitors considerably bolstered by their record signing's return.

Reality has set in since last week's heady victory at Anfield. The
memory of Liverpool's blazing opening that night, which yielded two
goals - as many as the Italians had conceded in the competition all
season - offered so much encouragement that Juve's second-half riposte
went almost forgotten. Now, shorn of their captain with Steven Gerrard
injured and absent, that advantage feels fragile.

To be able to welcome Cissé back to the bench as a potent option is
timely, for all that the £14.1m forward has not kicked a ball since
fracturing the tibia and fibula of his left leg against Blackburn in
late October. Had it not been for the speed at which the club medics
addressed the injury on the turf at Ewood Park, the limb may have had to
be amputated. Now, remarkably, the French international could feature again.

"He's been telling me he wants to play for weeks," said Rafael Benítez.
"I asked him at the weekend if he was afraid about coming back in, but
he just told me he was ready. We'd told him that it's not important for
him to play again this season. The priority was to get him fit for next
season, but big problems need big solutions. There's no risk in terms of
his leg. It's just whether he's fit enough or not. We could use him for
20 minutes if we need his pace or finishing, that little bit of
something extra."

"It's been difficult for me but it's such a wonderful feeling just to be
on the pitch again, never mind in the Champions League," said Cissé.
"It's hard to explain how I've come back so quickly. So much happens in
your head, but at no stage did I wonder whether I'd play again. I'm
ready for Juventus."

Cissé has scored three goals in his 15 appearances to date, with his
reputation arguably enhanced by a prolonged period on the sidelines, but
Liverpool may need his pace to penetrate this evening. The Italians have
not conceded a Champions League goal at the Stadio delle Alpi this
season and have been 1-0 up at 90 minutes in all their home games, going
on to beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the last round.

They need only repeat that to progress - on the four occasions Juve have
been defeated 2-1 in the first leg of a European tie, they have always
emerged victorious on aggregate. "We mustn't get into a panic searching
for the goal," said Fabio Capello, who will be without the injured David
Trezeguet. "It will be about getting a grip of the game in midfield."

If the Merseyside club are to flourish where all before have foundered,
they will need Xabi Alonso to shrug off four months on the sidelines
recovering from a broken ankle. He should start tonight, despite only
having 45 minutes of reserve-team football behind him, alongside Igor
Biscan in Gerrard's absence.

"We couldn't risk losing our most important player for the next six
games," said Benítez, "but with Stevie in the team we have a player who
will work hard in terms of his passing and his tackling. We'll have to
find alternatives now that we're without that.

"We're thinking about winning, nothing else. To be in a semi-final would
be fantastic, but the best way to achieve that is to try and score. A
friend called me yesterday and suggested I use 'the tactics of the bat'
and have 10 players hanging from the crossbar to keep the ball out, but
we might concede in the last few minutes and then what do you do?"

Liverpool shipped late and lost at Manchester City on Saturday and they
must learn from that defeat. Two of their four European Cups were
claimed on Italian soil. Even so, securing passage into the semi-finals
here tonight would still rank as one of their most impressive achievements.

Juventus meanwhile will have to do without striker David Trezeguet.

The French international, who hurt his ankle after appearing as a
second-half substitute in last week's first leg at Anfield, attempted to
train today (Tuesday) but was unable to complete the work-out.

"He hasn't been included in the squad," Juve coach Fabio Capello said.
"He failed to finish training due to the ankle injury.

"I am not a doctor, I am a coach, and therefore I have to respect the
doctor's decision."

Trezeguet's absence means Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play
alongside Alessandro del Piero in attack as Juve attempt to overturn a
2-1 deficit.

Midfielder Emerson, who had been an injury doubt, is fit again after
sitting out Saturday night's 3-3 draw at Fiorentina and is included in
the squad.

Match details

Probable teams

Juventus: Buffon, Thuram, Cannavaro, Pessotto, Zambrotta, Camoranesi,
Blasi, Emerson, Nedved, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Traoré, Biscan, Alonso,
Nunez, Riise, Luis Garcia, Baros

Head to head

April 5 2005, Champions League

Liverpool 2-1 Juventus

May 29 1985, European Cup final

Liverpool 0-1 Juventus

Oct 16 1965, Cup-Winners' Cup

Liverpool 2-0 Juventus

Sept 29 1965, Cup-Winners' Cup

Juventus 1-0 Liverpool

Referee V Ivanov (Russia)

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