Liverpool take on Sevilla in the Europa League final in Basel on Wednesday night with a place in the group stage of next seasons Champions League up for grabs for the winners. Jurgen Klopps side have endured an indifferent campaign in the Premier League, finishing eighth in the table, their lowest position since 2012.As a result, the Reds will miss out on European football altogether next season if they fail to beat a Sevilla team that has won the competition in each of the past two years. Klopp insists, however, that Sevillas 2014 and 2015 triumphs mean nothing ahead of this years final at St Jakob Park.The German also believes Sevillas Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on Sunday could make a big difference to the outcome of the game. Kolo Toure had this message for Liverpools younger players ahead of their Europa League final against Sevilla in Basel Sevilla, who are at least assured of a Europa League place next season courtesy of their seventh-place finish in La Liga, travel to Switzerland looking to make history by becoming the first club to win Europes second-tier competition three times in a row.Meanwhile, a fifth triumph overall for Sevilla - all within just 10 years - would also extend the record it holds over the likes of Liverpool, Juventus and Inter Milan, who have all won the competition on three occasions. Ticket-less Liverpool fans travelling to Basel for their Europa League final with Sevilla were given this warning by police At the same time, victory for the Merseysiders at St Jakob Park would see them draw level with the Spaniards as the joint-most successful team in the UEFA Cup/Europa Leagues 45-year history.But one perfect record has to end on Wednesday: Sevilla and Liverpool have won all seven UEFA Cup and Europa League finals they have played in.Unai Emerys holders, though, have not won outside Spain all season long, a run that started back in August in Tbilisi when Barcelona won the UEFA Super Cup 5-4 after extra time. Basel Police Match Commander urges Liverpool fans to have a party, but to stay away from the stadium if you dont have a ticket Emery is banking on his players mental resilience to become the first coach to win three consecutive Europa League trophies.The fact that this is our third consecutive final demonstrates how focused and hungry we have been to do well in the Europa League, and win it, he told Uefa.com. Simon Mignolet explains why Liverpools run in the Europa League is extra special That means competing - standing up to be counted throughout the 90 minutes. Team newsLiverpool have no new injury problems to worry about from the weekend, with Klopp having virtually a fully-fit squad to pick from, apart from suspended France centre-back Mamadou Sakho.That means he must make a late decision on whether to start captain Jordan Henderson after the 25-year-old made his comeback following a five-week layoff with a knee injury with a 25-minute appearance against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Divock Origi has been passed fit to take his place on the subs bench against Sevilla after being carried off against Everton in April with an ankle injury However, the midfielder is more likely to take his place on the substitutes bench alongside Belgian forward Divock Origi, who is back ahead of schedule after damaging ankle ligaments in Aprils Merseyside derby.No 2 goalkeeper Danny Ward, meanwhile, will also be on the bench after recovering from a knee problem.Sevilla, meanwhile, arrive in Switzerland with no fresh injury concerns to contend with.Opta statsThis is the first ever meeting between Liverpool and Sevilla.It will be Liverpools 12th major European final, having previously reached seven Champions League/European Cup finals, three Europa League/UEFA Cup finals and one in the Cup Winners Cup. They have won eight of them (73 per cent).Liverpool have won each of their two European finals against Spanish opposition, beating Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup and Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup.Liverpool have never scored more than one goal away from Anfield in the Europa League this season. Ahead of Livepools final in the Europa League, we look at Sevillas danger man Kevin Gameiro from La Liga this season Liverpool have had 11 different scorers in this seasons Europa League, more than any other team.Only one of the last 10 finals in the Europa League/UEFA Cup has seen the team scoring first not lift the trophy (Dnipro, against Sevilla in 2015).In fact, Spanish clubs have won seven of the last 12 editions of the Europa League/UEFA Cup (Sevilla 4, Atlético Madrid 2, Valencia 1).Sevilla have won three of their eight European games against English opposition (D2 L3), including a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough in the 2006 UEFA Cup final. Sevilla have won 13 of their last 18 games in the Europa League (D3 L2). Jurgen Klopp has lost his past four finals, the most recent of which was in February on penalties to Man City in the Capital One Cup Sevilla played at St. Jakob Park earlier this campaign in the Europa League against Basel, drawing 0-0 in March.Kevin Gameiro has had a hand in nine (seven goals, two assists) of Sevillas 14 goals in this seasons Europa League, including eight in his last five games (six goals, two assists).Emre Can has attempted (41) and completed (34) more tackles than any other player in this seasons Europa League.Klopp has lost his last four finals: the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 2013 (v Bayern Munich), the German Cup in 2014 (v Bayern Munich) and 2015 (v Wolfsburg); the League Cup with Liverpool in 2016 (v Manchester City).BettingLiverpool are Sky Bets 13/10 favourites ahead of their Europa League final showdown with holders Sevilla (21/10) and the draw, in 90 minutes, is a 23/10 shot.Daniel Sturridge to score and Liverpool to win in normal time is now 7/2, one of nine Price Boosts.Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson is backing Sturridge to net first in a 3-1 win for the Reds at 30/1, while Charlie Nicholas is going for Sturridge in a 3-2 win at 110/1.See all the big match odds and bet here. Cheap Rams Jerseys Authentic . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Cheap Rams Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. http://www.cheaplosangelesramsjerseysauthentic.com/ .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Wholesale Rams Jerseys . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends.The Carolina Hurricanes were a playoff team for the first half of the 2013 season but, due in part to subpar goaltending, they collapsed in the second half of the season and missed the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons since their 2006 Stanley Cup victory. Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Hurricanes could do this summer to get back into the playoff hunt. After acquiring Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin last summer, the Hurricanes had understanably higher expectations going into 2013, but those additions, if one includes Semins contract extension, have also eaten into Carolinas salary cap room. But, the Hurricanes have invested in talent. As miserable as their finish was, the Hurricanes had good puck possession numbers as a team, so there is reason to be hopeful that they could simply be better with a healthy Cam Ward in goal. Wards last game was Carolinas 21st game of the season and the Canes won three of four before the wheels fell off, leaving them to win just four times in the remaining 23 games. If Ward is healthy, maybe thats enough to get the Hurricanes back in the playoffs. It might be asking a lot for Jiri Tlusty to duplicate his season, but the same goes for Jeff Skinner, so its fair to believe that the Hurricanes roster is worthy of playoff contention. General Manager Jim Rutherford, while acknowledging that the Hurricanes could make defensive changes, there is still reason to be positive about Carolinas future. "Unfortunately the season ended the way it did," he told the Raleigh News and Observer. "But sometimes in this league, teams take a step back and take a few steps forward. One thing Im confident in saying is were in position with the core group of guys we have and the draft pick were going to get, fifth overall." If the Hurricanes want immediate help, to capitalize on prime years for the Staal brothers, that fifth overall pick would certainly be an enticing trade chip if thats something the Hurricanes would entertain in an effort to upgrade their blueline, but thats only a move to make if Rutherford believes that the Hurricanes need to accelerate the process if they are going to take the next step. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. GM/COACHJim Rutherford/Kirk Muller Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Eric Staal 83.17 48 18 35 53 +5 $8.25M Alexander Semin 80.32 44 13 31 44 +14 $7.0M Jiri Tlusty 77.40 48 23 15 38 +15 $1.6M Jeff Skinner 68.63 42 13 11 24 -21 $5.725M Jordan Staal 68.40 48 10 21 31 -18 $6.0M Tuomo Ruutu 66.39 17 4 5 9 -6 $4.75M Patrick Dwyer 62.48 46 8 8 16 -7 $900K Drayson Bowman 57.04 37 3 2 5 -7 600K Kevin Westgarth 53.89 31 2 2 4 +1 $725K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Riley Nash 60.66 32 4 5 9 -4 RFA $875K Chad LaRose 55.18 35 2 2 4 -8 UFA $1.7M Tim Brent 52.93 30 0 3 3 -3 UFA $750K Hurricanes Forwards Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com Eric Staal is one of the most consistent scorers in the league. Since 2005-2006, his 257 goals ranks fifth in the league (behind Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Dany Heatley and Jarome Iginla) and 596 points ranks tenth. Staal had a successful 2013 campaign with Jiri Tlusty and Alexander Semin on his wings but, thanks to a knee-on-knee hit at the World Championships, the 28-year-old is going to go into this offseason with an MCL injury that will require three months of recovery time. Thats enough time to have Staal ready to go for next season, but the Hurricanes can ill-afford to lose him for any significant period of time. When the Hurricanes signed Alexander Semin to a one-year contract, that was a low-risk play to acquire a highly-skilled player. Semin made believers out of the Carolina brass, putting up a point per game, while playing a career-high 20:57 per game. Since 2008-2009, Semin is plus-106, which ranks fifth in the league over that span, while his 136 goals ranks ninth and 315 points ranks 15th. Despite those credentials, Carolinas decision to invest in a long-term contract extension for Semin was met with skepticism. Playing his typical tough minutes, Jordan Staal was better than his minus-18 rating suggests. He was victimized by bad goaltending (.878 on-ice SV%), but the younger Staals presence is a valuable addition to the Hurricanes, giving them a two-way centre capable of taking on the most difficult matchups. Versatile veteran forward Tuomo Ruutu missed two-thirds of the season, returning to the Hurricanes lineup as they were already on their way out of contention, but a healthy Ruutu is a valuable commodity, able to play both ends of the rink and play centre or wing. 25-year-old winger Jiri Tlusty scored a career-high 23 goals in 2013, fitting in nicely on the wing with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin. That line had a lot of good fortune, that may not be repeatable, but Tlustys finish to 2011-2012 coupled with his breakout campaign should establish him as a top six forward for years to come. Though he already has three NHL seasons under his belt, 21-year-old Jeff Skinner is at a bit of a crossroads since his production has tailed off since his rookie year, with a miserable finish (4 G, 2 A, minus-22 in his last 23 GP) sending him into the offseason at a low point. Skinner is still young, very gifted offensively and had strong possession numbers. That being the case, its worth sticking with him to see if he get back on track next season. Late bloomer Patrick Dwyer has solidified his place as an NHLer, logging more than 15 minutes per game over the past two seasons, but injuries thrust him into a scoring role, with Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner, which isnt necessarily playing to his strengths. He finished with eight goals and 16 points in 46 games, the best scoring rates of his career, but Dwyer seems a better fit for a checking role, with the ability to fill in higher up the depth chart when needed. Drayson Bowman has put up respectable possession numbers while playing 106 games over four seasons, but 11 goals and 21 points in that time leaves him in a battle for a regular NHL job. Bowman did tie a career high with 37 games played in 2013, but without better production, hes replaceable. Enforcer Kevin Westgarth played a career-high 5:43 per game last season and is there to tangle with the leagues heavyweights when its necesssary. Its a limited role, but one that protects Westgarth as a hockey player while he provides the muscle. Checking centre Riley Nash showed, in his rookie season, that hes ready for regular NHL duty. He needs to get better on face-offs (44.3%) to really fill the role, but Nash displayed a decent possession game and his offensive production was improving (37 points in 51 games) in the AHL before he secured a full-time spot in Carolina. Since the Hurricanes have already invested in top-end talent up front, additions to the roster should come through internal promotion as well as some value veterans to play third and fourth-line roles. Some to consider include Ryan Jones, Craig Adams, Eric Nystrom and Matt Hendricks; essentially, blue collar forwards that arent easy to play against. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Justin Faulk 72.20 38 5 10 15 +1 $900K Joni Pitkanen 70.83 22 1 8 9 +2 $4.5M Jay Harrison 65.31 47 3 7 10 -10 $1.5M Tim Gleason 64.76 42 0 9 9 -3 $4.dddddddddddd0M Jamie McBain 64.44 40 1 7 8 0 $1.8M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Joe Corvo 70.20 40 6 11 17 -3 UFA $2.0M Marc-Andre Bergeron 66.38 25 1 8 9 -4 UFA $1.0M Bobby Sanguinetti 63.38 37 2 4 6 -6 UFA $700K Hurricanes Defence Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com Rising star defenceman Justin Faulk plays in all situations, logged 24 minutes per game last season and was a plus player on a team that gave up 32 more goals than they scored; none of which is standard fare for a kid who just turned 21. Faulk is the future and the present on the Carolina blueline. Injuries have limited Joni Pitkanen to 52 games over the past two seasons and his 2013 season was ended prematurely by a fractured heel. When healthy, hes still a capable puck-mover on the back end who can run the power play. Jay Harrison didnt stick as a full-time NHLer until he was 28-years-old, but as settled in nicely with the Hurricanes, playing 20:18 per game over the past two seasons. Harrison has good size and plays a simple game, but has shown the ability to chip in offensively on occasion. As a fourth or fifth defenceman, with a reasonable contract, he provides good value. When the Hurricanes want to match up a defenceman against the oppositions best line, Tim Gleason gets the call. Hes reliable and hard-nosed; also a tad pricey for a defenceman who has never scored more than 21 points in a season, but the Hurricanes have more puck-moving options than they do players with Gleasons skill set. When Jamie McBain broke into the league, in the spring of 2010, he played 25 minutes a night and put up 10 points in his first 14 NHL games. His production and ice time are way down; a career-low eight points (0.20 per game) while playing a career-low 18:25 per game last season. Hes not the most aggressive or physical defender, but McBains skating and puck skills could have appeal for another team if hes not going to get any better in Carolina. The Hurricanes do have a top defence prospect that could be ready to make the jump in Ryan Murphy, but they will likely need to fill in some gaps along the blueline. If they want to make a bold move, they could look to trade forwards, prospects or picks to land a physical defenceman. Good physical defencemen dont come cheaply, but if theyre willing to pay the price, could the Hurricanes get Vancouvers Kevin Bieksa or Minnesotas Clayton Stoner or they could look to the free agent market for Andrew Ference, Mark Fistric, Ben Lovejoy or Douglas Murray, all of whom could add a more physical dimension to the Hurricanes defence. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Cam Ward 65.65 17 9 6 1 2.84 .908 $6.3M Justin Peters 50.82 19 4 11 1 3.46 .891 $538K Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 12-13 Cap Hit Dan Ellis 61.69 19 6 8 2 3.13 .906 UFA $800K Goaltending was the primary problem for the Hurricanes in 2013. Cam Ward got hurt, which really sent matters spiralling downwards, but it wasnt like Ward was on top of his game before that either, his .908 save percentage his lowest since 2007-2008. However, Ward has been a workhorse and has a .917 save percentage since 2008-2009, which ranks ninth in the league among goaltenders that played at least 200 games. The Hurricanes still have Justin Peters under contract, but its conceivable that they would consider a veteran backup, just in case Ward is out long-term again. Peters owns an .896 save percentage in 47 career games, and thats not enough to inspire confidence should Ward get hurt again. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Ryan Murphy D Kitchener (OHL) 10-38-48, +14, 54 GP Victor Rask C Calgary (WHL) 14-27-41, +14, 37 GP Zac Dalpe RW Charlotte (AHL) 21-21-42, +16, 54 GP Jeremy Welsh C Charlotte (AHL) 14-12-26, -9, 69 GP Phil Di Giuseppe LW Michigan (CCHA) 9-19-28, -10, 40 GP Brock McGinn LW Guelph (OHL) 28-26-54, +7, 68 GP Keegan Lowe D Edmonton (WHL) 15-16-31, +38, 64 GP Chris Terry LW Charlotte (AHL) 25-35-60, +1, 70 GP Danny Biega D Harvard (ECAC) 2-9-11, -10, 2 GP Michal Jordan D Charlotte (AHL) 6-10-16, +6, 54 GP A brilliant skater and puckhandler, Ryan Murphy got into four games with the Hurricanes in 2013 as an emergency replacement. He needs to get stronger and make better decisions defensively, but Murphy is tempting, not least of all because of his ability on the power play. However, it could take some time, and perhaps some AHL seasoning, before Murphy is ready to be a difference maker at the next level. Drafted in the second round in 2011, Victor Rask is a centre with good size and skill. He got into 10 games early in the season with Charlotte of the AHL, recording five points, and will most likely start there next season. Zac Dalpe has seen spot duty in 41 games with the Hurricanes over the last three seasons and while hes managed just 10 points in minimal ice time, the possiblity that the 23-year-old could help out in a scoring role keeps him high on the Carolina prospect list. A big two-way centre, Jeremy Welsh is older than most prospects, having just turned 25, so his window to make the Hurricanes wont be open for long. At the same time, hes had a taste of the NHL, playing six games over the last couple seasons, and could be ready to challenge for a spot next season. A second-round pick last summer, Phil Di Giuseppe is a talented winger with good size, but is coming off a mediocre sophomore campaign. Going back to Michigan, where he can play a prominent role and develop consistency as an offensive leader, should set Di Giuseppe up for long-term success in Carolina. One of the hockey-playing McGinns from Fergus, Ontario, (brothers Jamie and Tye have already reached the NHL) Brock McGinn, was another second-rounder last summer and hes a battler. Not as big as his brothers, but McGinns a blue-collar winger who has a few years to round out his game before worrying about challenging for an NHL job. With four AHL seasons in the bank, Chris Terry finally saw his first NHL action last season. He may be the epitome of a tweener -- too good for the AHL and not quite up for a regular NHL job -- but Terry has been productive enough (183 points over the last three seasons) in the AHL to warrant a longer look. A steady and tough defensive defenceman, Keegan Lowe is plus-88 over the last three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. Hell get some time to develop in the AHL and could ideally turn into a shutdown defensive performer. Taken in the third round of the 2010 draft, Danny Biega wrapped up his four-year career at Harvard with a disappointing season, at least in terms of production. He accumulated 65 points in 68 games as a sophomore and junior before managing just 11 points in 32 games as a senior. Biega got into four games with Charlotte in the AHL at the end of the season and into the playoffs. 22-year-old Michal Jordan has been a steady defence prospect and earned a five-game trial with the Hurricanes in 2013. Since he already has three years of pro development, hes likely to be more ready for work in the NHL than some of Carolinas other defence prospects. DRAFT5th - Aleksander Barkov, Elias Lindholm, Valeri Nichushkin. FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Hurricanes have approximately $56.2M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 16 players. Check out my possible Hurricanes lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: Two top nine forwards, depth forwards, depth defencemen.What I said the Hurricanes needed last year: One top line forward, one top nine forward, one top four defenceman.They added: Jordan Staal, Alexander Semin, Tim Brent, Kevin Westgarth, Joe Corvo, Dan Ellis. TRADE MARKETJeff Skinner, Joni Pitkanen, Jamie McBain. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '