Lille manager doubles down on Thomas Frank claim about Liverpool ahead of Champions League clash | OneFootball

Lille manager Bruno Genesio has echoed a recent claim from one of his counterparts in the Premier League regarding Liverpool, who his side face tonight in the Champions League.

After the Reds’ dramatic late victory over Brentford on Saturday, when they eventually broke the home team’s resistance after 36 shots, Bees coach Thomas Frank described the Merseysiders as ‘the best team in the world right now’ and made them ‘huge favourites’ to win the top-flight crown this season.

Similar sentiments were aired by Ashley Williams on Match of the Day a few hours later, with Arne Slot’s side in firm control of the Premier League title race and the only team with a 100% record in the Champions League going into the final two matchdays of the league phase.

Lille manager heaps praise on Liverpool ahead of Anfield clash

Genesio takes his Lille team to Anfield to try and do what none of Liverpool’s six previous opponents in Europe this season have achieved, namely prevent the Reds from winning.

The 58-year-old said (via RMC Sport): “0f course, there is a game plan that can be a little different depending on the teams we face, but I think we have a team where we have to play our game. We are confident and we also come with a lot of humility because we are certainly facing the best team in the world at the moment.

“I believe that we have everything to gain and that we must, above all, play our game, of course taking into account the strengths of the opponent.”

(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Lille are not to be taken lightly

Liverpool have been flawless in the Champions League so far this season, but anyone who’s paid attention to Lille in the tournament will know about their penchant for bloodying the noses of Europe’s big names.

Genesio’s team have beaten both Madrid clubs (winning away to Atletico) and drawn against Juventus, and their 13-point haul in the competition leaves them eighth in the standings and currently on course to accompany the Reds in progressing directly to the last 16.

Les Dogues haven’t lost any of their previous 21 matches in all competitions, leaving them close to replicating the 24-game unbeaten streak that LFC put together until the Carabao Cup reverse at Tottenham a fortnight ago.

Lille duly go to Anfield in a rude state of health and may be hoping that, with Liverpool all but guaranteed of a top-eight finish already, the home side mightn’t quite be at 100% amid their simultaneous Premier League title charge.

However, as the Reds demonstrated on Saturday, their mindset is very much a winning one, and they’ll still be determined to cement first place in the Champions League standings and duly secure a theoretically easier draw for the round of 16 in March.

It should be a cracking fixture between two of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment!