Good evening everyone! It's crunch time in the Champions League as the group stages come to an end and there is still everything to play for in Group B. One place in the last 16 is up for grabs and Liverpool will be hoping for a special European night at Anfield as they look for a win against Basel.

The calm before the storm. Anfield is quiet now, that will soon change. Are @LFC in for a famous European night? #UCL pic.twitter.com/eXtVtlXxLX — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2014

Following such a great season last time around, Liverpool would have been confident of impressing on their return to European competition. However, they have struggled and head into tonight's match two points behind Basel in the table after winning just one of their five matches.

It's very simple for Liverpool, they must win to make it through to the last 16. They could find themselves out of Europe altogether if they lose and Ludogorets Razgrad pick up a point away to Real Madrid, but it seems highly unlikely that the Bulgarians will cause any trouble for the European Champions.

One hour till kick-off! pic.twitter.com/oI4qpNio8k — FC Basel 1893 (@FC_Basel) December 9, 2014

Right, before I go any further I can tell you that the starting lineups for each team have been announced, so let's take a look at who will be stepping out onto the pitch at Anfield in around 50 minutes.

LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Lovren, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert

BASEL XI: Vaclik, Xhaka, Schär, Suchy, Safari, Elneny, Frei, Zuffi, Gonzalez, Gashi, Streller

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic

BASEL SUBS: Vailati, Degen, Samuel, Delgado, Diaz, Hamoudi, Embolo

So, there we have our teams for this evening. Let's start with the home side who have made four changes from the goalless draw against Sunderland at the weekend. Captain Steven Gerrard is back in the midfield, while there are also returns for Jose Enrique, Dejan Lovren and Joe Allen. Rickie Lambert leads the attack with Mario Balotelli still missing, but Kolo Toure is ruled out with a groin injury.

Meanwhile, Basel are led by Marco Streller, who scored the winner when the teams met in October. There is also a familiar face among the substitutes, as former Liverpool defender Philipp Degen is named on the bench.

I'm sure that when the draw for the group stage was made back in August that Liverpool fans would have expected their team to make it through without too many problems. Of course, the two games against Real Madrid were seen as very tricky, but you would be forgiven for underestimating the threat of Basel and Ludogorets.

Things haven't quite worked out as planned and they have lost three of their five games in the group. There were early signs of a potential struggle in their opening match, as only a stoppage time penalty from Steven Gerrard saw them beat Ludogorets.

Perhaps the most important game of the group was the next fixture against Basel. The Reds ended up losing 1-0 and that was followed up by consecutive defeats against Madrid. In their last outing against Ludogorets they were held to a 2-2 draw, but even if they had won that, they would have needed all three points this evening because of their head to head record with the Swiss side.

It's not just the Champions League where Liverpool have struggled. Having come so close to the title last season they would have been expected to mount another challenge, but they are currently ninth in the Premier League and sit a huge 15 points behind leaders Chelsea. It seems that winning the league is beyond them, but a fourth place finish is still very much within their grasp.

Manager Brendan Rogers may have received some criticism for his team's poor form, but when you take certain world class players out of the side you are bound to struggle. The biggest of those was Luis Suarez, who joined Barcelona in the summer after scoring 31 goals in the league. He was such a big part of their success last time around and any team in the world would have trouble replacing him.

It has also not helped that Daniel Sturridge has hardly been able to play this season. He has endured a torrid time of injuries over the past few months and he has only been able to make just three league appearances. With those two players missing, Liverpool's struggle is understandable and replacements such as Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have failed to fill the gaping void in attack.

Mario Balotelli is just one of the players that has received a lot of stick, but there are plenty of other players who have had a tough few months. Simon Mignolet has been roundly criticised for his displays in goal and Dejan Lovren has failed to impress since his move from Southampton. Steven Gerrard has also come under scrutiny, but Liverpool will need their captain to be at his inspirational best tonight to ensure they qualify.

This isn't the first time that Liverpool have gone into their final group match needing a win. It was 10 years ago that they pulled off one of their greatest comebacks in Europe against Olympiacos. An early goal from Rivaldo meant that they needed three to go through and strikes from Sinama Pongolle and Neil Mellor saw them take the lead. Then, with four minutes of the game left, Steven Gerrard fired in a stunning effort from range that sealed their passage to the next round as they eventually went on to win the tournament.

Liverpool fans won't be happy to know that their side has never beaten Basel. They have played each other three times, with the Swiss outfit winning once and the other two games finishing level. The last meeting at Anfield ended in a 1-1 draw, as Julio Rossi cancelled out a strike from Milan Baros.

PREDICTION: Tonight's match looks set to go to the wire and there is sure to be a tense atmosphere at Anfield. Liverpool have struggled at home in recent weeks and you feel that the crowd could get on their backs if they fail to score in the first half. As Basel just need a draw they will sit back and make it hard for the Reds, but they have lost both of their away games in the group. This is a tough one to call, but I'm going to back Liverpool to edge a 1-0 win and qualify for the last 16.

'You'll Never Walk Alone' has just rung out around Anfield and both sets of players are now making their way out onto the pitch. With just a few minutes until the kick off, let me remind you that we have live coverage of every Champions league match tonight and I'll be sure to update you about the events taking place in the other Group B match at the Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Ludogorets.

KICKOFF! We are underway at Anfield!

Liverpool have seen plenty of the ball early on and they have the first chance on goal of the evening. Sterling shows great skill to get down the right and finds Johnson. The full back then picks out Gerrard on the edge of the box, but the captain can't quite wrap his foot around the ball enough and his effort goes straight into the keeper's arms.

The Reds are still seeing the majority of the possession but they are yet to get in behind the Basel defence. They get a decent chance to push a number players into the box from a free kick, but Gerrard's delivery from out wide was poor and easily cleared by the first man.

Although Basel haven't been able to get on the ball for large spells, they are looking dangerous on the counter attack. They certainly have great support in the ground, with their 2000 fans making plenty of noise at the moment.

It's still not quite clicking for Liverpool in the final third at the moment and Lambert is looking a bit stranded up front on his own. Sterling will be expected to offer plenty of support and he has already shown some moments of great skill.

CHANCE! Basel threaten for the first time after a mistake at the back from the hosts. A poor touch from Skrtel gives Zuffi possession of the ball and he spots the run of Gashi ahead of him. The Albanian then latches onto the pass, but he can only drill his strike from the edge of the box wide of the post.

The visitors are looking much better in the past few minutes and they are seeing plenty of the ball in Liverpool's half of the pitch. Gashi in particular seems a real danger and he is found with a long pass that beats the defence, but his first touch lets him down and the Reds are able to clear.

This is a really big moment for Liverpool. Sterling is picked out on in space on the right hand side of the box and there is time for him to shoot across goal. However, instead of shooting, he opts to pull the ball back towards Gerrard in the middle, but his pass is easily intercepted.

The Reds are hanging on a bit and there is a real moment of panic in the defence. It comes from a Basel corner that is initially cleared, but played back into the box. The ball bounces around before falling to Streller at the back post, but his low strike is crucially blocked by Johnson.

Liverpool have it all to do now as Basel take a deserved lead. Frei is the man who scores, as he exchanges passes with Zuffi on the edge of the box, before drilling a fine low strike into the bottom corner that leaves Mignolet left rooted to the spot.

I can tell you that we have had a goal in the group's other match. Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored to put Real Madrid 1-0 up over Ludogorets, who have had Marcelinho sent off. That means that Liverpool are currently level on points with the Bulgarians and as things stand they are heading into the Europa League.

The hosts are in disarray at the back and they are fortunate not to be two goals down. Some more good play from Basel sees Gonzalez slipped through the middle, but just as he is about to shoot, Enrique gets across to make a vital challenge and put the ball out for a corner.

CHANCE! It's another great chance to score for the visitors. A corner is only cleared to Xhaka, who then whips a fine ball back into the box for Streller. The striker should really go for the ball with his head, but he attempts a volley and ends up firing wide of the post.

The crowd are becoming increasingly frustrated and their team just do not look like scoring before half time. Their build up play has been laboured and their final pass has let them down on a number of occasions. Rodgers has plenty of work to do if he is to guide his team to a memorable comeback.

CHANCE! It's desperate at the back from Liverpool as the Swiss outfit come close again. Basel break quickly and once the ball is played back across the box, Frei fires in a strike looking for the bottom corner, but Lovren is there to make the block. It really would be no surprise to see Basel score a second before the break.

We've had another goal in Marid and Gareth Bale has scored to make it 2-0 to the home side. That doesn't change the table at all, with Liverpool still assured of finishing in a Europa League spot even if they lose tonight.

Basel do have the ball in the net for the second time, but it is ruled out for an offside. Gashi was the man who raced onto a defence-splitting pass before finishing into the corner, but he was clearly standing at least a yard beyond the defence.

No stoppage time is added on at the end of the first half and it's Basel who head into break with a 1-0 lead. Fabian Frei's strike is all that separates the sides and at the moment the Swiss champions will be going through to the last 16 at Liverpool's expense.

Fabian Frei wheels away in celebration after giving @FC_Basel the lead at Anfield. #UCL pic.twitter.com/xjuc1AC4f2 — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2014

Liverpool may have seen more of the ball, with 59% of the possession, but they have struggled to create any real chances of note. Basel have been much more dangerous in the final third and have had seven attempts on goal compared to their opponents' three efforts.

There is nothing at the moment to suggest that Liverpool are capable of mounting a comeback. Lambert has looked stranded on his own and they are taking far too long to get players forward in support. They do have attacking options in Coutinho, Lallana and Markovic available on the bench, but they are desperately lacking another striker.

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Well, Liverpool have made a couple of changes at half time. Lallana and Markovic are coming on, while Lambert and Enrique are the players that will not be coming back out for the second half.

The second half is now underway at Anfield.

YELLOW CARD! Lucas picks up the first booking of the evening for a lunging challenge from behind on Elneny.

There has been a lot more urgency in Liverpool's play since the break and the two substitutes seem to have added some much needed energy. They are still yet to test Vaclik, but this should give the crowd a lot more encouragement.

Liverpool are seeing plenty of possession, but they can't get in behind the Basel defence, who are holding firm. Gerrard and Henderson are starting to get on the ball more and they are getting into some dangerous positions as the Reds look to increase the pressure.

Markovic has made a positive impact since coming on at the break and his direct running has helped to raise the crowd at Anfield. Things had gone a bit quiet towards the end of the first half, but the fans are really urging their team forward now.

CLOSE! Basel have shown how much of a threat they are on the counter attack and they are inches away from grabbing a second. Xhaka does well to ride a couple of challenges and he gets to the edge of the box before drilling in a low strike that heads just wide of the post.

RED CARD TO LIVERPOOL! Things go from bad to worse for Liverpool as they are reduced to 10 men. Substitute Markovic is sent off for a flailing arm on Safari, but the replays appear to show that there was no contact with the Basel man.

Liverpool were already having trouble breaking down Basel before the sending off, but that task looks so much harder now. They seem to have lost the intensity in their attacks that they were starting to build and there is a real feeling in the crowd that everything is going against them.

YELLOW CARD! It's another booking for Liverpool, as Lovren picks up a card for bringing down Xhaka.

SHOT! This would have been some goal from Skrtel. The defender comes forward and fancies his chances from around 30 yards out. He thunders in a strike aiming for the top corner, but it swings just wide of the target.

PENALTY APPEAL! The Kop scream for a penalty as Gerrard races onto Sterling's wonderful through ball before going down under the challenge of the keeper. The referee was unmoved by their appeals and he was right, as the replays show that Vaclik got a hand to the ball and not the Liverpool captain.

Gerard is involved again as Sterling lays the ball off to him on the edge of the box. He goes for goal but doesn't quite manage to catch the strike as he would have liked though and ends up slicing the ball well wide of the post.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Both sides have made a change, with Coutinho replacing Lucas for Liverpool and Basel bringing on 17-year-old Embolo for Streller.

YELLOW CARD! Moreno is shown a deserved booking for blocking off Gonzalez, as the winger charged past him down the right.

YELLOW CARD! Basel are given their first booking of the evening when Schar brings down Sterling just outside the box. It has given Liverpool a free kick and their captain is standing over the ball.

Liverpool are back in this game now and it's another huge Champions League moment for Gerrard. The captain finds the top corner with a wonderful free kick that leaves Vaclik grasping at thin air. He really is the man for the big occasion and the Reds have around 10 minutes left to book their place in the last 16.

SAVE! With Liverpool pushing forward for another goal, there will be space for Basel to exploit and they threaten when Zuffi works some room just outside the box. He fires in a powerful strike, but it is too close to Mignolet who is able to beat the ball away from danger.

CHANCE! The hosts are agonizingly close to taking the lead. The ball is whipped in from the left by Moreno and Henderson rises to meet it in the middle. His header then takes a slight deflection and looks as if it is heading into the corner, but Vaclik manages to get across and stop the ball on the line.

Vaclik is down for Basel after colliding with Sterling inside the box. The keeper is receiving some treatment from the physios and his team will need him back on the pitch as they have used up their three subs.

Liverpool swing in the corner and the ball is just over the head of the arriving Johnson. It is only cleared to Gerrard just outside the box, but the midfielder gets underneath the strike and fires the ball well over the bar.

CHANCE! The visitors have a big chance to wrap this game up as Embolo charges down the left before drilling in a low strike that Mignolet saves at his front post.

CHANCES! Liverpool pile on the pressure and Skrtel is inches away from finding the net when he meets Sterling's cross and pokes wide at the front post. Moments later the ball is cleared to Henderson just outside the box and he fires in a powerful strike that forces Vaclik to push ball clear.

Despite a spirited late fightback from Liverpool, they have not been able to get the win they needed and their Champions League journey comes to an end. Steven Gerrard's stunning late free kick had revived their hopes after Lazar Markovic's red card, but they will now have to settle for a place in the Europa League in the New Year.

Well, that's all we've got time for after a dramatic night of football in Europe. Stay with us for all of the reaction to tonight's matches and make sure you come back tomorrow for more live coverage as the remaining teams aim to book their spot in the knockout stages. Until then, goodbye!