/* ----------------------------------------------------- Blogger Template Style Booted from wordpress to blogspot by Gecko Name: Death Designer: URL: http://www.geckoandfly.com Date: 27 April 2007 ------------------------------------------------------ */ RAFALUTION: PREVIEW: LIVERPOOL V READING

Saturday, November 04, 2006

PREVIEW: LIVERPOOL V READING

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt is back in contention after sitting out the game at Portsmouth, but skipper Graeme Murty is unlikely to make his comeback.

The defender stays on the sidelines along with Dave Kitson, John Halls, Peter Mate, Simon Cox and Aaron Brown.

Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann on playing at Anfield:

"No disrespect to other teams but it is better than going to Swansea, Southend or Burnley.

"We are going to Anfield. This is every kid's dream and we are still living the dream every day.

"One of the strongest memories I have of growing up was of John Barnes, Ian Rush and Bruce Grobbelaar playing for Liverpool against Everton.

"That's the stuff you remember and to have the chance to play in the huge stadium of Anfield is phenomenal."

Big-match facts

LIVERPOOL and Reading square up to each other for the second time in 10 days, with the Merseysiders looking for a quick double over the Royals, having knocked them out of the Carling Cup by the odd goal in seven.

The Reds go into this game high on confidence. Rafael Benitez named an unchanged line-up for the first time in 100 matches, and they duly delivered with a 3-0 home win over Bordeaux to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League. It was Liverpool's third win in a row in all competitions, in a sequence that's seen 10 goals scored and four conceded.

The Carling Cup tie on 25 October was the first time these two clubs had met in any competition.

READING started their first ever season of top flight football impressively, with four wins and a draw from their first seven outings. But they go to Anfield on a three-match losing run in the Premiership, and a four-game string of defeats in total - including the Carling Cup reverse.

Steve Coppell's side would leapfrog their opponents with a win, which could consign Liverpool to a place back in the bottom half of the Premiership table.

The Royals are seeking their first ever Premiership points from the north-west. This first ever League visit to Anfield is their second top tier fixture in the region, following a 1-0 defeat by Wigan on 26 August.

Key players - Liverpool

Peter Crouch is Liverpool's top scorer with eight goals.

Craig Bellamy is a hat trick shy of 50 Premier League goals (Coventry, Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool).

Pepe Reina is the only remaining player to have figured in every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.

If he plays, Jamie Carragher will be making his 300th Premiership appearance - all for Liverpool.

Suspended: Jerzy Dudek

Key players - Reading

Leroy LITA and Kevin DOYLE are Reading's joint top scorers with four goals each.

Ivar Ingimarsson, Steven Sidwell, Marcus Hahnemann and Nicky Shorey have been on the field for every minute of every one of Reading's Premiership matches to date.



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