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Marco Streller scored the game's only goal to take Basel to second in Group B

Streller second-half goal sees off Liverpool

Reds have won only four of nine matches this season

Liverpool play Real Madrid home and away next

Liverpool's hopes of making the Champions League knockout stages were dented as they succumbed to a 1-0 Group B defeat at Basel.

Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli had goals ruled out for offside, but Liverpool rarely threatened.

Instead, the visitors' defensive problems were exposed as Martin Skrtel headed towards his own goal and Marco Streller swept home the loose ball.

Basel 1-0 Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers rues 'soft' goal

Steven Gerrard came close to a late leveller when his free-kick was saved.

While Liverpool roused themselves to apply concerted pressure in the final five minutes, it was not enough to merit an equaliser that would have denied the hosts victory.

Manager Brendan Rodgers returns to Merseyside with more concerns over the disjointed attack and dysfunctional defence that have undermined the start of their Premier League campaign.

Basel themselves looked vulnerable when they were beaten 5-1 by Real Madrid in their Group B opener, and they were cut open inside five minutes by the Reds.

Champions League Group B table Played Won Drawn Lost GD Points Real Madrid 2 2 0 0 5 6 Basel 2 1 0 1 -3 3 Liverpool 2 1 0 1 0 3 Ludogorets 2 0 0 2 -2 0

However, Sterling strayed carelessly offside before turning in Lazar Markovic's cross, and Liverpool struggled to create a chance of similar quality for the rest of the match.

Instead full-backs Jose Enrique, preferred at left-back to Alberto Moreno, and Javi Manquillo were frequently exposed as their team were penned back.

Geoffroy Serey Die, exploiting space on Enrique's flank, came closest to scoring in the first half, slamming a shot into goalkeeper Simon Mignolet's shins.

Analysis Martin Keown Football analyst "We'll see what Brendan Rodgers is made of now. They're 14th and nine points away from Chelsea. "The fans have got to be more realistic. Brendan has to stick to his philosophy and keep believing. "Mario Balotelli is an individual. The way Suarez and Sterling and Sturridge integrated, it was beautiful. "Balotelli is a bit of a fixed mannequin and he has to learn the Liverpool way or he'll just be standing there watching."

While Liverpool looked vulnerable out wide in the first half, it was their deficiencies in the centre of defence that were exposed by the Swiss side's goal.

Skrtel, more concerned with grappling with his man, inadvertently headed the ball against Dejan Lovren and, while Mignolet got down sharply to prevent an own goal, the goalkeeper succeeded only in palming the ball into Streller's path for a simple finish.

Without the injured Daniel Sturridge and the departed Luis Suarez, Liverpool were stripped of the interplay and invention of last season and struggled for a response.

Only Mario Balotelli's long-range free-kick, blocked by goalkeeper Tomas Vaclík's shoulder, and Sterling's clumsy mis-control when clean through gave the home crowd cause for concern.

With back-to-back meetings against holders Real Madrid to follow in Group B, Liverpool will need a vast improvement to progress to the knockout stages.

Marco Streller has scored five goals in eight games in the Swiss top flight this season

Basel beat Chelsea home and away in last season's Champions League group stages

Brendan Rodgers and Paulo Sousa, both former Swansea managers, were in opposing dugouts

Mario Balotelli (right) has scored one goal in seven games for Liverpool