I can see both sides of this argument.
First of all, I was upset when I heard the rumours of the lineup, and even more so when I saw them confirmed. This looks a lot like admitting defeat before the game has even started, doesn't it?
On the other hand, I've seen every Liverpool game so far this season, and I missed maybe 1 or 2 last season. It's been dreadful this season, with just one exception (Spurs). Last game against Newcastle was one of the worst performances I've seen under Rodgers, maybe the worst. With that in mind, why not give other players a chance?
Borini did well against Swansea, and Balotelli has been horrible. I have no qualms with letting Borini start.
Even Sterling was poor against Newcastle, but then again, why play him on the right? He needs to play on the left or in the middle, end of discussion.
And let's face it, we're gonna be doing a lot of defending today no matter who plays. And there's no doubt Lucas is better at defending than Gerrard is.
I'm not sure about this, I'm a bit ambivalent. I just have a really bad feeling about the scoreline, and I'm picturing 5+ goals to Real and 0 to Liverpool. That could remove whatever shred of confidence is still left in the squad.