Mark Lawrenson predicts Liverpool to reach Champions League quarter-finals

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Liverpool finished top of their group in the Champions League.

Liverpool finished top of their group in the Champions League to qualify for the knock-out stages.

This has been a fantastic European campaign so far for the English clubs, with all the five teams progressing from the group stages.

According to former Liverpool defender and popular BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson, the Reds will not win the Champions League this season.

The Liverpool legend says that the Reds are irresistible going forward, but their vulnerability at the back means that they can always have a bad half.

Liverpool were terrific against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday night, winning 7-0. However, they conceded three goals in the second half against Sevilla to salvage only a draw despite leading 3-0 at half time.

Lawrenson highlights this to be his only worry against a quality European opposition as the Reds can endure a bad half and that can turn the game in the opposition’s favour.

The football pundit is also worried about Philippe Coutinho’s future, but he doesn’t see any point of a move in January, as he is already cup-tied and will miss the Champions League football.

He predicts Liverpool to reach the quarter-finals, but adds that it still depends on the draw.

“My only worry with Liverpool is they can always have a bad half. At times they’re irresistible going forward, as we saw on Wednesday with the 7-0 win over Spartak Moscow,” wrote Lawrenson for The Mirror.

“But, as we saw in the second half away at Sevilla, when they were 3-0 up and drew 3-3, and Sevilla at home, when they missed a penalty and should really have won, they are vulnerable.

“That’s my only worry. Against one of Europe’s really top teams, they might lose two or three goals in that bad half they endure.

“They have to finish in the top-four to get back in the Champions League, and I just don’t see them winning it, because of the bad half in games they invariably throw in. I can see Liverpool reaching the quarter-finals, but a lot depends on Monday’s draw.”