Peter Gino Rosselli: Up at 2:30am in Shanghai to watch my 62nd live LFC game."

Gibson Lee: Mixed feelings about tonight. I prefer no Europe next season to focus on the league. Ala 2 years ago and Leicester this year.

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

"We've had six minutes of nothing."

Image source, Reuters

Not easy on the eye in these opening stages. Stop-start, few passes strung together, little pressing. A bitty opening six minutes.

Image source, PA

Sevilla, decked out in white shirts, white shorts and those official-annoying black socks, are doing most of the early running. Liverpool winning away from the pitch - plenty of deafening noise from the English fans.

Image source, PA

Mark Duffell: First bonkers Uefa edict of night. Yellow socked officials. Presume so can distinguish in tackles with Seville players? Dear me.  

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

"Uefa in typical fashion have made the officials change their socks as they are the same as Sevilla's. As though that is going to make a difference."

Helter skelter start. Liverpool midfielder Emre Can clatters the heels of Ever Banega inside the Reds half. Ref Jonas Eriksson gives him a finger wag and a stern word. Banega tries to slide the set-piece low into the right channel. Rubbish. Liverpool clear.

Early free-kick for Sevilla close to the halfway line. Up trot the big lads from the back. But there is some pushing and shoving in the box and Liverpool earn a free-kick themselves. 

Image source, AFP/GETTY

Liverpool have the honour. It's Champions League or bust for the Reds. Game on!

Image source, Getty Images

Cordial stuff between the two skippers - Liverpool's James Milner and Sevilla rival Coke - as they contest the coin toss. Handshakes all round and then it is down to business...

Image source, Reuters

One final check of the team news? Go on then...

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Toure, Moreno, Milner, Can, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho, Sturridge. Subs: Ward, Benteke, Henderson, Lucas, Allen, Origi, Skrtel. 

Sevilla: Soria, Mariano, Rami, Carrico, Escudero, Krychowiak, Nzonzi, Coke, Banega, Vitolo, Gameiro. Subs: Sergio Rico, Kolodzieczak, Iborra, Cristoforo, Pareja, Konoplyanka, Llorente. 

Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

The White Stripes's tubthumping rock classic 'Seven Nation Army' - now the anthem of European football - is blasting out in St-Jakob Park as the two teams saunter out of the changing rooms. Most of the Liverpool players have their game faces on. Adam Lallana looks as cool as a cucumber, grinning away Kloppesque.

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool's owner John W Henry and his wife Linda Pizzuti have got a couple of the best seats in the house. 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on BT Sport: "Fifty-two games together to prepare for this game - we're ready. 

"I'm quite sure Sevilla are quite experienced in buying tickets all over the world but I'm sure our fans will do their best and we'll try to use it because it would help in the game because it's quite a difficult game. In this moment, we have nearly all the squad available. It's the strongest squad we could have so let's try. 

"Sevilla's a great team. I don't think if you won it last year has a big influence, everything depends tonight on our performance. If we are strong, we are difficult to play, if we are difficult to play we're half way there. Trust yourself, use the skills of your teammate."

Andy West
Spanish football writer

"Sevilla have endured a fairly disappointing season in La Liga to finish seventh, but that’s mainly because they have suffered a series of disappointing results against lower-ranked opposition.

"In the big games, they have been excellent, beating Barcelona, Real Madrid and fourth-placed Villarreal at home, where they also succeeded in defeating Juventus in the Champions League group stage.

"So although they are unpredictable and inconsistent, Sevilla are clearly capable of beating any opposition when they rise to the occasion and that ability to find extra quality for the most important games helps to explain their success in cup competitions."

Image source, Rex Features

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Basel

"Riot police are now forming human segregation down a passageway which separates Sevilla and Liverpool fans at one end of the stadium. At first glance the two sets of fans have one half of that end plus a corner each - but there appeared to be no serious segregation until the riot police arrived after the trouble."

Image source, PA

Never mind Stevie G - what does a World Cup-winning captain reckon will happen tonight?

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on BT Sport: "I'm full of confidence, but it's a very tough test for them. The financial implications of winning this final helps because you can attract bigger and better players and having a manager like Jurgen Klopp you'd hope the team would be strengthened. That's why so much is at stake in this final. 

"Klopp's been huge. He's not just lifted the players but the supporters and the city. He's infectious, he makes you smile when you watch his interviews. He's a manager you'd want to play for. 

"I expect Liverpool to win. I don't think it'll be straightforward. Sevilla are very good technically and defending champions but I feel Liverpool have more matchwinners in the team."

Has that whiff of Liverpool-fuelled nostalgia got you pumped up for kick-off? Jurgen Klopp and James Milner are leading the Reds players back down the tunnel after their warm-up. Time for them to stick on their shirts, have a good glug of water, maybe stick a big dollop of greasy wax on the barnet. One would imagine that'll be Emre Can, not James Milner, in front of the mirror...

Image source, Getty Images