Pre-match preview: Liverpool FC v Steaua Bucharest, Europa League

Pepe Reina

Liverpool's last five games

Sept 12: Premier League - Birmingham 0, Liverpool 0

August 29: Premier League - Liverpool 1 West Brom 0

August 26: Europa League - Trabzonspor 1 Liverpool 2

August 23: Premier League - Manchester City 3 Liverpool 0

August 19: Europa League - Liverpool 1 Trabzonspor 0

Steaua's last five games

Sept 11: Romanian League - Unirea Uziceni 1 Steaua 0

August 29: Europa League - Steaua 1, Fc Timisoara 1

August 26: Romanian League - Grasshoppers Zurich 1, Steaua 0 (1-1 on agg, Steaua won 4-3 on pens)

August 21: Romanian League - FC Vaslui 0, Steaua 3

August 19: Europa League - Steaua 1, Grasshoppers Zurich 0

Past meetings

Nov 6 2003: UEFA Cup 2nd round 1st leg - Steaua 1, Liverpool 1 - match report

Nov 27 2003: UEFA Cup 2nd round 2nd leg - Liverpool 1, Steaua 0 (L'pool won 2-1 on agg) - match report

Harry Kewell scores against Steaua Bucharest

The Reds have only met Steaua once before in European competition, winning 2-1 on the UEFA Cup during Gerard Houllier's final season at the Anfield helm, a tie notable for being the scene of Djimi Traore's one and only goal for the Reds

Liverpool have also faced both of Steaua's city neighbours in competitive European competition - Dinamo Bucharest, who annhilated Everton 5-1 (6-2 agg) in the 2005/6 UEFA Cup, were seen off 4-1 on aggregare in the second round of the 1970/71 Fairs Cup and more famously were the side who stood in the way of Joe Fagan's side in the spring of 1984 as they stood on the brink of a fourth European Cup Final in seven years.

Sammy Lee's header gave Liverpool a slender advantage to take to Romania for the second leg of the semi-final where the Reds, and in particular Graeme Souness, faced a hostile reception after Dinamo midfielder Movila had sustained a broken jaw.

Ian Rush (pic: www.liverpool.is)

However Fagan's side's had won every match they had played away from Anfield thus far in the competition - at Odense, Bilbao and Benfica - and turned in a signature away performance with two predatory strikes from Ian Rush, on his way to 49 goals that season, secured a 2-1 win on the night and a place against AS Roma in the Final in their own Olympic Stadium.

Rapid Bucharest meanwhile were seen off 1-0 on aggregate at the start of the Reds' triumphant 2000/01 UEFA Cup campaign, Nick Barmby scoring the winner in the away tie with his first goal for the club.

Bernard Diomede in action against Rapid Bucharest

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