Liverpool vs Southampton Match Preview
Liverpool have very little time to celebrate their Carabao Cup win as they need to focus on the FA Cup next. They take on Southampton in the 5th Round at Anfield on Wednesday night.
The Reds come into the game after Virgil van Dijk led them to a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. They will be confident of getting another win in front of the home crowd as Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour continues.
Southampton have lost three of their last four matches and will be looking to use the match to regain their confidence. They travel to Anfield after losing at home to Millwall and Hull City, both by the same scoreline of 2-1.
Also read: Klopp Provides Injury Update on Ryan Gravenberch Following EFL Cup Victory
Liverpool thrashed Norwich City 5-2 in the previous round and are desperate to keep the winning run going to make their head coach’s summer exit memorable. They have won one of the four trophies available and are looking to take the next step toward securing their second of the season.
Southampton needed a replay in the previous round to beat Watford. They drew the first match 1-1 before winning the replay 3-0.
Team News
Liverpool’s injury issues got worse after their Carabao Cup final 2 days back. Ryan Gravenberch left the field on stretchers in the first half of the game and is now facing a spell on the sidelines.
Jurgen Klopp has claimed that he is unsure about his starting XI against Southampton this week. The Liverpool manager stated that he will send out a team, but will need to add more academy players to the squad. He said:
“We don’t have a team right now for Wednesday. The guys who came on can maybe play again, the rest will get treatment on Monday. I love this country to bits, but the schedule is not made for winning a lot. We will see the price we have to pay, but we fight for everything, and then we see what comes next.”
“Somehow, against Southampton, there will be a team in Liverpool shirts. I am sure we brought on all the kids. We needed fresh legs, they were fresh, very young, but they did the job. The boys have trained for a long time with us, they know exactly what we have to do. They are a pain, to be honest; that is what you have to be in these moments.”
The Reds are already without the likes of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and more. As many as 11 players are expected to be out of the matchday squad this week.
When asked about Salah, Nunez and Szoboszlai in the press conference on Tuesday, Klopp said:
“We need miracles with a few players, that’s why I don’t want to rule out for too long but it’s touch-and-go for the boys who were not available for the final. Darwin, Mo, Dom, we have to see what they can do today.”
As for Southampton, Juan Larios and Ross Stewart are the players out injured this week. The two players were joined by Flynn Downes on the injury list, but he could make the squad for the trip to Anfield.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool are expected to make a few changes for their FA Cup clash. Van Dijk, Konate and Robertson could be rested with Gomez, Quansah and Tsimikas taking their place in the starting XI.
Clark would be forced the change in midfield with Gravenberch out injured. Endo could also get rested, but they have McConnell to slot in for him.
In attack, it is likely that Danns gets the start over Gakpo after impressing in the shot stint against Chelsea.
Predicted XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Clark, Mac Allister, McConnell; Elliott, Danns, Diaz
Southampton have lost back-to-back games but are not expected to make drastic changes to the starting XI. Harwood-Bellis could be replaced by Bree, while Sulemana and Edozie can be the additions in the attack instead of Fraser and Brooks.
Predicted XI: Lumley; Bree, Stephens, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Rothwell, Smallbone, Aribo; Edozie, Adams, Sulemana
Liverpool vs Southampton Head-to-Head & Prediction
Southampton 4-4 Liverpool
Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool 4-0 Southampton
Liverpool 2-0 Southampton
Prediction:
Jurgen Klopp will try his best to play mind games before kick-off, but Liverpool will not have much to do once the games start. The Reds will be able to dominate the Championship side with ease and should get the win in normal time.
It will be a surprise if the Reds do not take an early lead, as Luis Diaz will be causing a lot of trouble to Kyle Walker-Peters or James Bree, whoever starts as the right back.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Southampton
Also Read: Jurgen Klopp confident of Wataru Endo signing a new long-term contract with Liverpool
Betting Tips
Liverpool win.
Both Teams To Score: No.
Over 3.5 Goals: No.
Odds
Liverpool Win: 1.63
Draw: 4.40
Southampton Win: 4.60
Liverpool vs Southampton Timings & Telecast
Anfield – 28th February – 20:00 GMT
India: Sony Sports Network
United Kingdom: BBC and ITV
US: ESPN