1. Lazar Markovic should have known better
Behrang Safari clearly exaggerated the contact to get Markovic sent-off when Liverpool’s attacking midfielder flicked out his right arm. It was shamefuk from the defender but Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers bought it.
Only Markovic knows exactly why he did it but an incident just before the sending off may have clues. Safari initially committed a hard tackle on Markovic and the Liverpool midfielder possibly tried to protect himself from another challenge by reaching out with his arm. It harshly backfired.
Liverpool were entitled to be aggrieved and Rodgers in anger went as far as saying it should have been Safari who was sent-off but Markovic should not have given the referee a decision to make by swinging his hand back.
2. Basel have to remain positive to proceed in the Champions League
Basel caused Real Madrid the most problems in Group B, they defeated the Reds in the reverse fixture and they had Liverpool on the ropes in the opening half of this game.
Despite all those encouraging signs, the Swiss side almost sabotaged their qualification by dropping back in the second-half. They ended up struggling to hold on to a draw against 10 men, yet they outplayed 11.
Paolo Sousa has a good team but they are likely to draw an opponent with more glamour and quality in the knockout stages. They have to try and impose their style of play because they are strongest when they attack.
3. Liverpool players need something to lift them
Most of Liverpool’s problems boil down to confidence. They are a much better side than their performances and some media reports suggest but they badly need their confidence back to achieve their true potential.
They were a better team after Steven Gerrard lifted the team by converting his free kick. It could be Daniel Sturridge’s return or a player producing inspired performances over a couple of games in the league. The quality is certainly there as they showed with 10 men here, they just need something to regain their swagger.
4. Basel keep defying the odds against English teams
This was the fifth time Basel came into the game as an underdog against an English team yet they have won four and drawn this one. They defeated Chelsea home and away last season and they had already defeated Liverpool in Switzerland in October.
In this game, the Reds started with a high tempo but so did Basel. Overall, Sousa’s men were arguably the better team in the game and no one can chalk this away result up to complacency on Liverpool’s side. The five-times Swiss champions are actually a force to be reckoned with.
5. Liverpool should be concerned that Gerrard is currently their best player
After spending a lot of money last summer, Liverpool find themselves too reliant on Gerrard. He is reliable, he is performing even better after Rodgers started managing his appearances and he scored a glorious free kick when his team needed him to. It may not have been enough but the Reds captain is undoubtedly the best Liverpool player in terms of current form.
That is concerning because Gerrard cannot play in every game and when he does, he works better when there is a lot of movement around him which is not always the case this season.
