Wednesday’s big stories on Merseyside.Istanbul 10 Year Reunion
Amazingly, May 25 2015 will mark 10 years since Liverpool’s incredible Champions League win over AC Milan in Istanbul. The club will be hosting a special night of celebration in honour of the achievement, reports the Liverpool Echo.
There will be players from the team that night in attendance and Rafael Benitez will almost certainly make an appearance.
The guests will go through the events of that night, from the crushing low at half-time through the amazing fightback and penalty shootout.
Mario Balotelli On The Way Out Despite Goal
This story was written before the striker’s late goal against Swansea City, but the fact remains that the Italian is seriously struggling at Anfield.
The Mirror report that former boss Benitez, who is having problems of his own at Napoli, is keen to get take the forward off the Reds’ hands.
Quite why he’d want to do that when he has Gonzalo Higuain leading the line for his team is anyone’s guess.Daniel Sturridge Defends Balotelli Against ‘Stereotype’
In other Balotelli news, Sturridge has defended him against the “stereotype” he has in this country saying that the Italian is just “a regular young guy” and that plenty of other people his age have done “crazier things.”
“Mario is really cool and I get along with him – I enjoy working with him, but everyone says similar things about him like he is wild and then he ends up getting stereotyped,” the England international was quoted by Goal.
“He is under the microscope and he is at that level where he is known around the world and he does get scrutinised. I think the average 24-year-old or guys who go to university who are a little younger will have done a lot crazier things than him.”Guillermo Ochoa Linked With Anfield Move
Notorious Spanish transfer site Fichajes has linked Ochoa with a move to Merseyside. Simon Mignolet has been struggling this season and the Reds have been linked with a host of ‘keepers in the last few weeks.
The Mexico international moved to Malaga this summer after his contract at Ajaccio expired. He was one of the best stoppers at the World Cup this summer and is disappointed to be stuck behind Javi Gracia in the line for minutes at Malaga.Turkish defender linked with Liverpool
Omer Toprak has been linked with a move to Anfield by the Daily Star. The German-born Bayer Leverkusen defender has 23 caps for Turkey and is regarded as one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga.
The Reds are in desperate need of defensive options and have been linked with the defender, although Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also apparently interested.