Four key battles as Liverpool take on Besiktas in the Europa League

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Which key men the Reds will be up against this evening

Liverpool face Besiktas tonight in the first leg of a last-32 Europa League tie at Anfield.

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Given the second leg is away in Turkey the team will want to be putting in a good performance to ensure they don’t have a lot to do on the road.

We look at four key battles that could determine the outcome of this one and our success in Europe this season.

Martin Skrtel vs Demba Ba

Martin Skrtel

It will be up to Skrtel to try and withstand the battering ram that is Demba Ba.

Whilst we all might shudder when we see the Senegalese striker and remember that fateful day at Anfield last season we, and Skrtel, can’t let it get into our heads and preoccupy our overall game plan. This isn’t Liverpool v Ba.

Whilst the former Chelsea man might be in red-hot form in Turkey, scoring 18 goals this season, five of which have come in Europe, Skrtel has been a key cog at the back since we started playing three at the back. Recently, he kept Diego Costa relatively quiet for two legs in the Capital One Cup, for example.

Expect a tough battling affair with one or two scares but Skrtel should have more than enough to keep him in check.

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