Make Or Break For The Reds

It's the battle of the English and Spanish giants once again as they clash at Anfield tonight. Both the team suffered defeats at the hands of their rivals with Barca going down 2-1 to Sevilla and Liverpool losing 1-0 to Man United.

But this will altogether be a different game as the teams will approach this game with a thought in mind that will most definitely strike fear in the hearts of fans and players alike. That is to wake up tomorrow morning, knowing that there will not be Champions League football anymore.

For Barcelona, it's about defending the title. No team since the 80s have successfully won the European Cup consecutively as teams often failed to live up to their expectations right after winning it. The pressure from the press made it more if a daunting task. Therefore Barca will look to break that curse of the winner and retain the European Crown.

But for Liverpool, it's more than that. It's the lifeline of the 06/07 season, for the players and also the club. Out of both domestic cup competitions earlier, the Reds need to revive their season with perhaps, another European Cup to show for. League title was gone far too early and Rafa's habit of winning a major cup every season at Liverpool might just come to an end.

And it was made a far more intriguing tie after what happened in the first leg held at the Nou Camp. Liverpool surprised the majority of the people, coming away with a 2-1 win over the shell-shocked Barcelona side. With 2 away goals, Liverpool seemed to be in the driving seat.

But we're talking about Barcelona here. It's Ronaldinho, Messi and Eto'o, all in the same team.

They have the magicians and artisans on their side. With Rijkaard, a former classy player himself, in the hot seat, you could expect Barcelona to come and have a go at Liverpool. Why not? Since they're trailing and they HAVE the quality to beat Liverpool at Anfield, the place were the home team only conceded 4 goals in the Premiership thus far.

But Liverpool always possess the spirit and belief in them, especially up against a gargantuan. David and Goliath fights are something Rafa made them to specialise and even though they're the favourites for this game, they know that on paper, they're an echelon below.

Both the managers know the season is on the line. It won't be a half hearted effort from either of the team and you could smell a fantastic game is on the cards. It certainly won't disappoint.

It's also about how the two teams bounce back from the disappointments over the weekends and showing their true character.

This game is not for the faint hearted. Brace yourself for a titanic encounter.