Lens fans banned from Anfield for Champions League clash with Liverpool after flares chaos

Lens supporters banned from away Champions League games after flares incident at Brugge; Liverpool's January home match will have no visiting fans.

UEFA's appeals judges have banned Lens supporters from attending away Champions League matches after fans lit dozens of flares and threw some toward rival supporters and the pitch during the team's game at Club Brugge last week, forcing a brief stoppage. The ban applies to Lens's trips to Leipzig on 24 November and Liverpool at Anfield on 27 January, with a third match ban deferred under a two-year probationary period. Lens were fined €80,000 (£67,000) for lighting and throwing pyrotechnics and acts of damage. The club was already on probation following a similar incident at Slavia Prague in September. The ruling means Liverpool will face Lens with only their own supporters in the stadium as they pursue qualification for the Champions League knockout stages.