Good evening and welcome to live text commentary of the Champions League Group B encounter between Basel and Liverpool at St Jakob-Park. This matchday two showdown has been highlighted as a key battle within a pool that also involves holders and favourites to finish top, Real Madrid.

A glance at the teamsheet suggests Rodgers hasn't come to Switzerland to defend. Plenty of attacking talent on show for the Reds - but it could leave them vulnerable at the back once more.

Both sets of players finishing off their pre-match routines.

40% of Steven Gerrard's European goals for Liverpool have come away from Anfield. The Reds skipper will be hoping to boost that percentage tonight as his last Liverpool appearance here is not one he remembers fondly. A young Gerrard was substituted by Houllier at half time during the 3-3 draw back in 2002.

The travelling Kop are out in force in Switzerland this evening.

The atmosphere is building nicely within the ground.

Brendan Rodgers' pre-match views: "I can’t think about winning the Champions League as we are in October and we have the Premier League to contend with too. We are thinking game by game. Swiss football produces very good players who are technical. Basel are the Swiss champions and they have lots of experience in this competition as they have been playing in it for years. We haven’t been as good as expected (this season). We have integrated new players who are adapting to a new team, a new country and new football. We have an idea of where we are going."

In tonight's other Group B clash, Real Madrid take a trip to minnows, Ludogorets. Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably starts and is chasing a record. The Portuguese has scored 68 goals in 104 CL appearances and is just three away from Raul’s CL record of 71 goals. Could he match that this evening if Real hit the goal trail as expected?

Basel coach Paulo Sousa's pre-match thoughts: "We go to compete against an historic club with important players. We need to be perfect. We could create a story which will be remembered in the future. As a coach all the games are a real test. It is a fantastic moment for us, myself and the players and our club to enjoy but also to compete as we are looking to get results."

On Swiss soil Liverpool have won three and lost one of their five visits.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: This is only the third ever meeting between the two sides. The previous games both ended level in the same competition during the 2002-03 season. The Swiss claimed a surprise 1-1 draw at Anfield before surviving a sensational Reds comeback from 0-3 down in their own backyard to hold on and claim the point that sent Gerard Houllier's Liverpool side crashing out at the group stage.

A landmark evening for Skrtel who will be hoping he can mark it with what has become a rare clean sheet for the Reds these days.

TEAMS - BASEL: Vaclik, Schar, Suchy, Safari, Serey Die, Frei.F, Hamoudi, Elneny, Xhaka, Streller, Embolo... Subs: Vailati, Zuffi, Delgado, Kakitani, Calla, Gashi, Gonzalez. /// LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Manquillo, Lovren, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Markovic, Balotelli... Subs: Jones, Moreno, Toure, Lucas, Lallana, Borini, Lambert.

TEAM NEWS: Liverpool make two changes to the side that drew 1-1 at home to Everton in Saturday's Merseyside derby with Philippe Coutinho and Jose Enrique coming in. Adam Lallana and Alberto Moreno drop to the bench.