Roque in a hard place

By Tom Rollett

Since moving to Bayer 04 Leverkusen from AC Milan in the summer, Brazilian defender Roque Junior has been earning plaudits at the heart of the side that takes on Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League, after unexpectedly topping their tough table in the group phase.

Tough opponents
As their trip to Anfield loomed, Roque Junior backed his side to continue being tough opponents. "I'm not sure if we can go all the way in the tournament but we do believe that any team left in the competition will have to play very well to knock us out - including Liverpool," he told uefa.com.

Dreadful spell
The FIFA World Cup winner endured a dreadful spell at Leeds United AFC last season as the club were relegated from the Premiership, and was keen to put the record straight as he made his first return to England.

Leeds misery
"My time at Leeds was unsuccessful but things like that happen in football," Roque Junior told uefa.com. "Having said that, I still have fond memories of being at Leeds and living in the city. It was an important experience in my career and I genuinely felt sad when the team was relegated."

Weekend win
Leverkusen go into the Liverpool match in good form, having beaten 1. FC Nürnberg 4-2 on Saturday, with Dimitar Berbatov scoring twice, while Liverpool, without a game, were left to stew over their defeat against Birmingham City FC the previous weekend.

Slight advantage
Roque Junior also believes the German side holds an advantage by playing away at Anfield first. He said: "It is always better to know what you have to do at home in the return leg.

'European tradition'
"I know that Liverpool have a great European tradition, but I don't fear playing at Anfield at all," the Brazilian added. "It's a beautiful ground, and I expect it to be full of passionate supporters. But I must say that doesn't bother us. This tie will be resolved on the pitch and not by the people in the stands. That's not to say that the crowd can't help Liverpool though, because I know that English fans sing a lot more than German supporters."

Home record
Leverkusen reached the knockout stages largely thanks to their impressive home form in the group stages, which included resounding victories against Real Madrid CF, AS Roma and FC Dynamo Kyiv. Nevertheless, Roque Junior insists that Leverkusen must aim for victory at Anfield, and not leave too much to do at the BayArena.

Foolish move
"It would be stupid to base our plans only on the match at the BayArena - we have to try to get a good result at Anfield first," he said. "But there is absolutely no way we will underestimate the threat of Liverpool because we know they will try to hurt us badly in the first leg. We must be ready for a fight at Anfield."

Defensive questions
Despite Liverpool's patchy form this year, Roque Junior refuses to agree that the Merseysiders are weak at the back. "Some people say that they have a weakness in defence or with the goalkeeper but I don't see that myself," he said. "They have made it to the second phase of the Champions League, so they must be doing pretty well. They are strong all over the pitch.

Key man
"We must look out for Steven Gerrard, because his stamina and technique are incredible," he concluded. "He's not only a very intelligent player, but the heart of Liverpool. If we stop him, then we stop Liverpool."