Liverpool can secure their place in the last 32 of the Europa League with a victory over Bordeaux at Anfield on Thursday.
Jurgen Klopp's side have earned just one win in their four Group B matches, but a victory will be enough this week as they are second in the standings, three points above their upcoming opponents.
Liverpool
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Jurgen Klopp is the type of manager who always has a smile on his face, and he will have an even bigger one this week following Liverpool's 4-1 rout over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
It was arguably the best performance under Klopp since the German coach replaced Brendan Rodgers at the helm towards the start of October.
Since his arrival, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has overseen four wins, three draws and one defeat, and it is the team's away performances that have caught the eye.
Liverpool's results on the road include wins over Chelsea and City, but it is the results at Anfield that have not been setting the world alight - in the four games that have been played at home since Klopp took over, the Reds have claimed victory in just one of them.
That is an issue that they will need to address before they welcome Bordeaux to Merseyside on Thursday, particularly because they have only managed one win in their European campaign, which was against Rubin Kazan.
Liverpool's other results in the competition have been draws, the first of which was played out in Bordeaux as Adam Lallana's 65th-minute goal was cancelled out by Jussie.
Playing in front of a home crowd will give the Reds a boost, but the knowledge that the team will qualify for the next round should drive the team on to snatch the win.
Liverpool have scored eight goals in their last three league fixtures, but in Europe they have hit the back of the net just four times in as many games.
Scoring has been hard to come by in the competition for Klopp's side, but they have managed to reach the round-of-32 phase in both of their previous Europa campaigns.
Recent form: DDDW
Recent form (all competitions): DWWWLW
Bordeaux
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Football has somewhat taken a back seat in France in recent weeks due to the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Europe has been paying tribute to the country following the atrocities, but it will be a nice relief for football clubs in France to get back to what they do best.
It has not been the ideal Europa League campaign for Bordeaux since reaching the group stages as they are still searching for a win following three draws and a defeat.
After restricting Liverpool to a point in September, they failed to strike in a goalless draw against Rubin Kazan, were undone by one goal against Sion and recorded a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture against the Swiss side.
Should Willy Sagnol's side manage to cause an upset at Anfield, they will move level on points with second-placed Liverpool with one game left to play.
Bordeaux's last appearance in this competition was in the 2013-14 campaign, but they failed to progress past the group phase.
Domestically, results have been a mixed bag in Ligue 1 for the team, who currently sit 13th in the standings.
Recent form: WLDDLD
Recent form (all competitions): LWLDWD
Team News
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Philippe Coutinho was instrumental in Liverpool's win over Manchester City as he scored one and made two of the team's four goals, but the Brazilian is unlikely to feature at Anfield on Thursday.
The playmaker suffered a hamstring injury at the Etihad Stadium, and while the extent of the problem is not yet known, it is unlikely that the 23-year-old will feature.
Roberto Firmino impressed as he got on the scoresheet against City, and the Brazilian is likely to keep his place alongside Adam Lallana, while Jordon Ibe could come into the fold.
Klopp did not play a recognised striker against City, but Christian Benteke might be called upon on Thursday, with Daniel Sturridge possibly making a cameo as he works on his fitness.
Mamadou Sakho remains on the sidelines, meaning that Dejan Lovren should partner Martin Skrtel at the back, while captain Jordan Henderson is edging closer to fitness, but is not expected to return until December.
Meanwhile, Bordeaux could start a front three of Wahbi Khazri, Enzo Crivelli and Nicolas Maurice-Belay.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno; Lucas, Can; Ibe, Firmino, Lallana; Benteke
Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Carrasso; Guilbert, Sane, Pallois, Contento; Chantome, Yambere, Saivet; Khazri, Crivelli, Maurice-Belay
Head To Head
Liverpool and Bordeaux have faced one another competitively three times in the past, and it is Liverpool who come out the better team as they have won two of their meetings.
As mentioned, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in France in September, but prior to that, the clubs met in the group stage of the 2006-07 Champions League campaign.
The Anfield fixture ended in a 3-0 triumph for the Reds, with Luis Garcia scoring twice and Steven Gerrard also netting, while the reverse fixture was also won by Liverpool.
Peter Crouch scored the only goal of that game in the 58th minute.
We say: Liverpool 2-0 Bordeaux
Liverpool may only have one Europa League victory under their belts, but the momentum is with the Merseyside outfit following last weekend's win over Man City. The team's home form needs improvement as the last time that they played at Anfield they were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace, but there is enough attacking quality in the team to get the job done on Thursday night.
Danielle Joynson
