Liverpool's Europa League journey takes them to Russia on Wednesday, as manager Brendan Rodgers' struggling side takes on free-spending Anzhi Makhachkala, whose big money signings have turned the formerly minor club into a major player in Europe.

Liverpool have been winless in the three games since their last Europa League match, where a Stewart Downing goal gave them a 1-0 win at home to Anzhi.

The obvious threat for Anzhi is former Inter and Barcelona player Samuel Eto'o, purportedly the highest paid footballer in the world. Regular Liverpool center backs Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel will be tasked with stopping him.

However, Liverpool may be tempted to field 1.96m Sebastian Coates in central defence despite his relative inexperience, to counter the potential aerial threat of 2.03m striker Lacina Troare.

Close behind Liverpool and Anzhi is Udinese and Young Boys, who have four and three points, respectively. If Udinese win and Liverpool don't, the Italians will move ahead of them.

In Group B, leaders Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone will be looking at the game against Portugal's Academica — bottom of the group with one point — as a chance to bounce back from a loss to Valencia at the weekend, the club's first defeat for 23 games.

After the Valencia match, Simeone said "We continue fighting to be on top. This will not stop anything". The reigning champions should have two-time Europa League top-scorer Radamel Falcao in the team, despite the forehead injury he got against Valencia.

Elsewhere in the group, Plzen host Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Fenerbahce have relied on their away form to take them to top of group C, and are at home to AEL Limassol, who has just one point from its three games. Marseille host Borussia Monchengladbach. Both teams have four points.

Newcastle can secure qualification from group D with a win at Club Bruges. Second-placed Bordeaux host bottom-of-the-group Maritimo.

Inter striker Diego Milito said this week that the team are a "united group which goes beyond any nationality". The team is currently top of the AP Global Rankings, and having beaten Juventus at the weekend will go into its group H match against Partizan Belgrade full of confidence, after nine consecutive victories.

In contrast, for Partizan anything but a win and a first goal in this year's tournament would make progression to the next round extremely unlikely.