LASK manager makes ambitious statement ahead of Liverpool showdown

LASK manager Thomas Sageder has insisted his side will not be 'tourists' when they take on Liverpool at Anfield this Thursday.

The Reds failed to capitalise on a chance to wrap up qualification from Europa League Group E in gameweek four, losing 3-2 away at Toulouse – who they had beaten 5-1 just two weeks before.

However, with nine points from four outings, Jurgen Klopp's side are still poised to advance to the knockouts without much difficulty, and a draw at home to LASK could seal the deal with a game to spare.

Their Austrian opponents sit bottom of the group on just three points and lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the reverse fixture back in September, when Darwin Nuñez, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah earned a comeback win.

LASK do, however, still have an outside chance of qualification and manager Sageder is hopeful that his side can cause another upset for Liverpool after their surprise defeat in France.

“We don't want to go there as tourists.” Sageder said via Sky Sport Austria, after his side's 1-0 win over WSG Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga at the weekend. “It's just a football game that you always have some chance of winning. We want to demand everything from them there.”

Sageder also confirmed that defender Rene Renner and midfielder Sascha Horvath should be fit to face Liverpool this week, despite missing out at the weekend.

“That’s what I’m assuming,” replied Sageder, when asked of the duo's fitness, confirming that the pair were simply "under the weather".

After the tie against LASK on Thursday, Liverpool close out the Europa League group stage away to Union Saint-Gilloise on 14 December.

If the Reds qualify as group winners they will go straight through to the last 16 of the competition. However, if they were to finish second, they would be forced to play an additional playoff round against one of the third-place teams from the Champions League.