Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his intentions with the Europa League--it'll be a competition that, at least for the time being, will afford the opportunity to give younger players and fringe first-teamers a chance at meaningful action. So long as it doesn't get in the way of their Premier League efforts, we'll see the more regular starters on occasion, but or better or worse, the priorities are set.

And for Young Boys manager Martin Rueda, it's likely to turn out on the worse end of things, as he's of the opinion that his squad aren't that far off from Liverpool in terms of quality, and any underestimation of their capabilities could very well be punished:

"I don't think Liverpool can afford to turn up without their best players. We can embarrass them. They did not shine in the early season, taking just two points from their first four games - that makes me say that we are not far from them."

The Swiss side's manager did go on to complement Liverpool's reputation both on the continent and globally, but it's clear that the history only goes so far at this point--the club's best European days are at least three years behind them, and if they're going to reassert themselves on a continental scale, they'll have to do it in the face of opposition that, despite our opinions about where Liverpool should be, can very likely pose a significant challenge to their aspirations. Tomorrow might not feel like it carries a ton of weight, but in the broad scope of Liverpool's recovery, it can represent an important step forward.