Reds Return to Europe with Renewed Strength by Joel Tracy

When we last saw Liverpool Football Club in European competition, they were slinking off the Anfield pitch with their collective tail between their legs, having been eliminated from a favorably drawn group via a 1-1 draw with group runners-up FC Basel.

The Reds were dealt a harsh blow via a second half red card for Lazar Markovic, who'd looked bright upon replacing the woeful Jose Enrique at the half. But the Reds' swift exit from a competition their supporters had pined for throughout a five year absence owed less to the referee's decision and more to a combination of comical (or perhaps tragic is a more apt description) goalkeeping, shambolic defending, a turnstile-esque midfield, a toothless attack and a series of confounding decisions by their Manager.

So it was that last week's resumption of Champions League competition - including Basel, occupying what could have been Liverpool's place in the Round of 16, drawing 1-1 against Porto in a tie that could see them through to the quarterfinals - came with a healthy dose of regret for Liverpudlians. By defeating a strong Besiktas side, in a return to European action at Anfield, the Reds produced a bit of salve for those wounds, while showing that they are a much improved side from the one that crashed out of Europe's premier club competition in December.

Much has been made of the tactical and personnel changes made by Brendan Rodgers in the winter, and last Thursday's side had a decidedly different look than the group which featured in most of the Reds' Champions League clashes, in both makeup and style.

In contrast to a defence that inexplicably appeared to be regressing from the overly accommodating 2013-14 model, the Besiktas clash featured a Liverpool backline that was markedly more cohesive and assured. Mamadou Sakho, who could only watch from the bench as Dejan Lovren and company bumbled their way through the Champions League group stage was assertive, strong in the tackle and composed in possession. Martin Skrtel put in a solid shift in the middle of defence, outside of his letting Demba Ba through on goal in the first half (when Sakho perhaps could have done better to cover for his defensive partner on the backside of the Liverpool defence).

In contrast to his splendid past two months, Emre Can looked like a twenty-year-old midfielder playing out of position with a few uncharacteristic mistakes at the back, although that may be due in part to a massive workload for a player who struggled to reach full fitness earlier in the campaign.

Simon Mignolet, whose slapstick approach to goalkeeping cost him his job after that December loss to Basel, continued the recent renaissance that has coincided with his return to the side with another strong, assertive performance. The Belgian credited a shift away from overthinking his duties with his recent upturn in form, and he would have been forgiven if, with Ba rushing in towards goal unmarked, his thoughts had drifted to the remarkably similar situation that led to Ba's slotting past him to sound the death knell for Liverpool's title hopes last spring. Instead, Mignolet was quick off his line and after closing down Ba's angle he denied the striker with an outstretched palm to keep the Turkish side from taking the lead.

The Belgian's increasingly assertive approach was evident in the air as well, as the goalkeeper confidently claimed a series of Besiktas corners. While the away side demonstrated a cagey reluctance to commit players forward in attack, Mignolet and the Liverpool defence did well in keeping the clean sheet-their seventh across the eighteen matches since that December defeat against Basel.

Although Liverpool missed the defensive solidity of Lucas Leiva in the middle of the park, the duo of Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen helped the home side demonstrate a level of control that was conspicuously absent from much of the Reds' early season play. While unspectacular, the much-maligned Allen was disciplined in positioning and efficient in his use of the ball, impressing in areas where Steven Gerrard had been found wanting while deployed in a deeper role in 2014.

Allen's partner Henderson had a much more adventurous evening, supplementing his usual tireless running with a hefty dose of creativity. Although his finishing left much to be desired,

the temporary captain created a match-best four chances, though unfortunately his teammates, like Henderson himself seemed to have left their shooting boots at home. While he supplied his teammates via an array of approaches, perhaps the most dangerous weapon in the midfielder's creative arsenal is a - dare I say it - Gerrard-esque cross-field diagonal ball. Henderson threaded a beauty through two Besiktas players to set Adam Lallana charging down the flank in the first half and the vice captain's tendency to look for that ball immediately upon gaining possession - as well as the technical ability to execute the pass - has been evident in much of Liverpool's best play of late.

On the strength of his barnstorming display at Anfield, Liverpool supporters will be hoping that Jordon Ibe is the most frequent recipient of those cross-field balls. The teenager was a terror all evening along Liverpool's right flank, displaying the power, pace and ankle-breaking change of direction that led Rodgers to prematurely end his loan in January. Young Ibe has certainly vindicated his manager's decision and although, like Raheem Sterling before him, his decision making and end product could stand to improve (and I believe they will, just as with Sterling) his introduction into the side is yet another improvement evident in this latest edition of Rodgers' Liverpool.

Along the opposite flank Alberto Moreno showed a bit more of the attacking impetus expected of him after a big-money move from Sevilla in the summer, including an audacious long-range strike palmed over the bar by Besiktas' Cenk Gonen. Ahead of him Liverpool's front three appeared disjointed and lacking sharpness, although their struggles owed much to Besiktas Manager Slaven Bilic's well-drilled and industrious defence. Bilic's side sat deep and dared Liverpool to either convert outside chances or find an opening in behind - an approach often taken against this Liverpool side, but rarely executed with such cohesiveness.

Such cohesiveness was sorely lacking from the Liverpool strike force, most notably when Daniel Sturridge was lingering on the ball or uncorking ill-advised shots at the expense of open teammates. After seemingly recapturing the creativity, elusiveness and incisive passing that made him such a success in his first season and a half at Anfield, Philippe Coutinho continued what has been a bit of a mini-slump with another quiet evening (although his third minute exploits the following weekend showed he's always a threat to produce a moment of magic).

A well-deserved rest surely awaits for the Brazillian, who started his eighteenth straight match for the Reds against Besiktas. Alongside Coutinho, Adam Lallana missed yet another opportunity to establish some consistency in his play with a largely anonymous display marked by a lingering habit of over-dribbling, as well as a wastefulness in front of goal shared by his fellow attackers.

Although Liverpool would not have the benefit of a wonder strike from their legendary skipper, as they did in an attempt to climb back against Basel, Rodgers proved that the 2015 version of his Reds have a few more match winning options than their predecessors. The manager was rightly criticised for a hesitancy to make changes during the early stages of the campaign, persisting with underperforming starters such as Lovren and Mignolet as supporters clamoured for replacements.

While his hand was forced with the overly harsh suspension of Lazar Markovic, Rodgers' decision to replace him with the inexperienced Ibe (making his European debut)-as well as the initial decision to recall the on-loan youngster-was nothing if not bold. Both moves appear to have been masterstrokes, as Ibe put the exclamation point on a man of the match performance with one final thrust down the right hand side, earning the decisive penalty.

That Mario Balotelli - one of the most accomplished penalty takers in the world - was even on the pitch to take the spot kick (not without controversy, as is so often the case with him) was a testament to both the increased menu of options at Rodgers' disposal and the manager's growing comfort with utilising the options at his disposal.

Recognising that Bilic was on the verge of earning the draw for which he'd clearly strived, Rodgers reshuffled his deck, introducing an increasingly threatening Balotelli, alongside the mercurial (albeit slightly hobbled) Raheem Sterling to inject some life into a static Liverpool attack. Sterling's presence opened a gap or two in the Besiktas defence, and Balotelli showed his strength, and notably his experience and poise in earning a pair of dangerous free kicks, before cooly slotting home the winning penalty.

Like the Reds' win over Southampton on Sunday, the Besiktas first leg was by no means a perfect performance - particularly, in the case of the midweek match, in the final third - and Rodgers will rightfully demand more of his charges as they seek to close out the tie in just two days' time. While they can do nothing about their absence from the Big Boys' table for the duration of this campaign, it appears as though this Liverpool side have learned from their early season mistakes, a series of revelations that may well bear fruit in the form of a return to Champions League action-via a Top Four finish or a Europa League triumph-next fall.

That two-pronged quest continues Thursday, in front of a hostile crowd in Istanbul. The Reds carry with them a slim one goal advantage, while a single away goal would provide a potentially crucial advantage over the home side. Still, Bilic's side figure to take a more adventurous approach in front of a crowd of over 70,000, as they attempt to put an end to Liverpool's seven match unbeaten streak.

Fortunately for Reds supporters, the side that walks out onto the pitch at the Attaturk Stadium will be a far cry from the one that trudged off the ground at Anfield over two months ago.

Joel Tracy

@RambleOnReds