Hello and welcome to tonight’s coverage of Liverpool’s clash with Bordeaux.

The big news is Daniel Sturridge misses out with a foot injury, Phillipe Coutinho is absent with a minor hamstring strain while Martin Skrtel starts from the bench due to illness.

Here are the teams:

Liverpool: Mignolet Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno Lucas, Allen, Milner, Ibe, Firmino, Benteke
Subs: Bogdan, Skrtel, Randall, Brannagan, Can, Lallana, Origi

Bordeaux: Carrasso, Poko Sané, Yamberé, Contento, Chantome, Plasil, Saivet, Rolan, Jussie, Crivelli
Subs: Traoré, Diabaté, Maurice-Belay, Guilbert, Poundje, Prior, Ounas

Liverpool would progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League with a win.

Despite just one victory and three draws to date, they can go top of the group tonight with three points after FC Sion lost 2-0 away to Rubin Kazan earlier today.

Elsewhere, Tottenham have just taken a lead in Azerbaijan of all places – Harry Kane yet again.

His ninth goal in six games. 11 minutes plus stoppages left in that one.

Desperate times …………..

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Also kicking off tonight at 8.05 – Celtic host Dutch giants Ajax at Celtic Park. And the Scottish side are in desperate need of a win; they must win to keep their qualification hopes alive.

And Spurs have reached the last 32 with a 1-0 win away to Qarabag thanks to Harry Kane’s winner 15 minutes from time.

This group is wide open now after Rubin Kazan’s win against FC Sion earlier on.

Sion sit on eight points after five games, Liverpool are on six from four, Rubin Kazan on five from five and Bordeaux on three points from four games.

So Liverpool really need to be winning this tonight with a difficult trip to Switzerland on December 10 rounding out their group fixtures.

But in all seriousness, does Jurgen Klopp ever stop smiling? A nice change from Jose that’s for sure.

Players just out of the tunnel now.

Klopp on Sturridge’s absence:  “I can’t say so much about this because we trained in the morning, went to the hotel and Daniel was relaxed. Then he had to leave. We have to wait for the scan results.”

Eh, crystal clear I guess.

Still smiling though

And they’re under way at Anfield.

Scrappy start, both sides struggling to keep possession

Liverpool get the first corner of the game after good play from Moreno. Moreno takes it but it easily dealt with by the French side.

Celtic have taken an early lead in Scotland thanks to Callum McGregor on 4mins

Chance - Firmino has a chance after a long ball but he misfires on the half-volley from just inside the box

Moreno has looked lively on the left-hand side. His nicely flighted cross is attacked by Benteke but a free out is given for a push.

Chance - A great cross-field ball from Lucas catches Bordeaux defence out but Firmino fluffs his lines again. Liverpool well on top now.

Lucas has been the standout player on the park so far. Liverpool having plenty of joy down the left flank.

Bordeaux are looking a bit flat-footed and losing the ball very easily.

Near disaster for Liverpool as Bordeaux nearly manufacture a goal from nothing. Order restored though after a few shaky moments from defence and goalkeeper.

That seems to have settled the French side into the game. They’re passing it better and looking a bit more composed. Not creating much though.

Bordeaux starting to press high up the field – who knows where they got that idea from.

And their hard work has earned them a free-kick from the edge of the area after a silly foul by Joe Allen.

Free-kick smacked straight in the wall from Saivet and he follows that up by booting his second attempt high, wide and handsome.

Chance - Liverpool reply straight away after a great ball by Milner over the top to Benteke. He beats the offside trap but sends his shot wide.

The diagonal ball is looking like a very dangerous option for Liverpool tonight.

Chance - Pearler of a delivery from Jordan Ibe from wide left, in-swinger towards the back post. It zips wide though and passes Benteke by.

Half-chance - Ball sits up for Kolo Toure on the edge of the area, without a goal in five years. Yet he takes on the chance that few centre-mids would – and predictably, sends it well wide. Wasteful

Goal ruled out - Great run down the left from Jordan Ibe, he finds Benteke who coolly slots home at the near post only for the flag to be raised by the official. Benteke at fault there, looking down the line and still managed to stray a yard offside.

Mignolet penalised for holding on to the ball for too long. Bordeaux have an indirect free-kick from 16 yards out.

Goal - Great finish by Saivet. Straight in the top corner. Mignolet the culprit big-time.

Liverpool 0 Bordeaux 1

It may be Thanksgiving but that was far too generous all-round by the Belgian. He had no need to hold on to the ball so long on a night when Liverpool are on top and in need of a win.

Penalty - Benteke bundled over in the box after a hopeful cross from Milner. Milner to take

Liverpool 1 Bordeaux 1

Goal - Milner sends the keeper the wrong way and cooly slots it in the right corner. This game has come to life. Thanks to silliness all-round.

Penalty was daft – no need to make that challenge and Bordeaux defender had his arms all over the big Belgian striker.

Bit of naivety from Ibe as he gives away a free in a dangerous area wide on the left. The ball is whipped in with menace but headed high and wide by Sané.

Liverpool 2 Bordeaux 1

Halftime: Liverpool 2 Bordeaux 1

Goal - And what a goal by Christian Benteke on the stroke of halftime. Clyne raced down the right-hand touchline and his midriff-height cross was excellently controlled by Benteke before he fired it into the corner on the half-volley.

Klopp’s smile just got even wider as the players ran towards the tunnel for the interval.

In Scotland, Celtic are drawing 1-1 with Ajax, the Dutch side equalised through Arkadiusz Milik on 22 minutes. Halftime there too.

Liverpool have looked dangerous every time they have got the ball wide tonight. Ibe and Moreno, in particular, have stood out going forward. While Benteke is winning plenty of ball in and around the box.

Second half under-way. Liverpool now attacking the Kop.

No changes on either side.

Very stop-start beginning to second-half. Free kicks all over the place.

Bordeaux getting plenty of players behind the ball now as opposed to first-half when they were pressing much higher up the field.

Chance - Beneteke has another chance in the box but he gets under it and sends it well over the bar. Allen and Firmino both coming into the game a bit more now.

Bordeaux sloppy in possession at the back but Benteke responds in kind with some sloppy passing of his own. Big chance of a 2-on-2 missed there.

Another goal ruled out - Benteke apparently for a trip on Sané. Looked harsh.

It was a beautiful move involving Allen, Firmino and Milner before Benteke slotted home with ease. Trip looked accidental, probably wouldn’t have been given anywhere else on the pitch.

Chance - Ibe makes the most of some more sloppy defending and creates a one-on-one for himself. Although he can’t beat Carrasso, who makes an important save with his legs. Liverpool well on top here again but could really do with a two-goal cushion.

Handball appeal - In the Liverpool box as they defend a corner, Benteke raises his hands to shield his face and the ball makes contact. We’ve all seen them given. Bordeaux players furious with the referee as he waves them away.

This is turning into a good game of football now. Liverpool should really be looking to control it well from here.

Yellow card - And deserved too, Lucas dives in on Plaisil and catches the Czezh Republic international on the back of the leg near the centre-circle.

Just when they need to start managing this game, Liverpool become more wasteful in possession than they have been all game. They are getting frustrated now.

Yellow card – And that boils over in Ibe after he loses the ball and then boots it away after a free-kick is given. Crowd not happy.

Substitution - Emre Can for Joe Allen. Probably a good move with the way Can has been playing in recent weeks. Quiet game from the Welshman. 

It’s all gone very quiet at Anfield. Bordeaux lording possession at the moment.

Liverpool are sitting back but the way Bordeaux have been defending they should be going for the jugular and trying to put this game out of sight.

Adam Lallana warming up now. Maybe he will get them going forward again.

Chance - Better from Liverpool, they work it down the left and Milner finds the side-netting.

Substitution - Lallana come on for Firmino, who like Allen, had been quiet. He looked like he was missing his Brazilian partner-in-crime tonight.

Corner for Liverpool. Taken by Ibe and it’s a smashing delivery but didn’t fall kindly for Benteke and Bordeaux clear.

Substitution - Nicolas Maurice-Belay comes on for Brazilian Jussie. He seems to be lining up on the left side of midfield.

This game is petering out a bit – largely being played in the middle third. Substitutions have failed to spark anything as of yet.

As it stands Liverpool would go through and Bordeaux would go out.

Chance - For Bordeaux, ball falls to Maurice Belay on the half-volley in the Liverpool box but Toure reads it well and takes it off his toe.

Two minutes plus stoppages left here, Liverpool looking relatively comfortable, if a little boring – although nowhere close to the levels of Manchester United’s dullness last night.

Booking - Benteke booked for late challenge.

Celtic now 2-1 down at home to Ajax, as it stands they would be eliminated tonight.

Free-kick for Bordeaux in dangerous area …

Mignolet is so nervous his voice is breaking badly

Save - Saivet with the strike, clears the wall and dips below the bar. Mignolet makes the save, as you would expect him to do – it wasn’t even close to the corner.

Three minutes of added time

Chance - Contento blazes over on a half-volley. Liverpool nearly there now.

Celtic now out of Europa League, fulltime in Glasgow Celtic 1 – Ajax 2.

FT: Liverpool 2 Bordeaux 1.

Liverpool qualify for the last 32 with 2-1 victory at Anfield. They go top of the group, on nine points from five games with an away trip to FC Sion to come on December 10.

That’s the lot from us tonight.

Thanks for stopping by.