Liverpool - Southampton predictions and free betting tips [28/02/2024]

Today as part of the ⅛ English Cup finals, Liverpool will be hosting Southampton. The Reds return to Anfield after their triumph in the League Cup final, whilst the "Saints" fell to "Millwall" in the Championship over the weekend, suffering a 1:2 loss.

Liverpool

In Klopp’s last season at the helm of legendary Liverpool, his players have already given the German specialist a gift, triumphing over Chelsea in the League Cup final on Sunday (0:1); the goal, paradoxically, was scored in extra time by Virgil van Dijk, who has been an essential element of the Merseyside giant for several years. As an additional bonus, the six-time European champions currently lead the Premier League table with 12 rounds to go, outpacing Man City and Arsenal. In February, the Reds racked up three consecutive home victories against Burnley (3:1), Brentford (1:4), and Luton Town (4:1).

In the previous round of the National Cup, Liverpool knocked out Norwich (winning 5:2). It’s worth noting that this is only the second time in the last nine years that the Reds have reached the ⅛ final stage of the competition.

Liverpool will face Sparta Prague in the Europa League playoffs next week. Given the busy schedule and abundance of injuries, it's inevitable that Klopp will resort to rotating the squad. Half of the team have literally set up camp in the infirmary: Alisson, Salah (15 goals, nine assists in 21 Premier League rounds), Thiago Alcantara, Alexander-Arnold, as well as Jota, Matip, the talented youngster Jones and Uruguayan striker Nuñez (9 goals, 7 assists in the Premier League) all missed the League Cup final. Meanwhile, midfielder Szoboszlai (3 goals, 2 assists) is unlikely to recover by the game, and young Spanish halfback Balench can't even have it anywhere in mind considering his long-term injury. Ryan Gravenberch had to be stretchered off the Wembley pitch due to a gross error by Moises Caicedo, while Wataru Endo was seen on crutches post-game.

Southampton

This season, Southampton is participating in the second division after being relegated from the Premier League last summer, and the club is eager to return to the top-flight. Currently, the "Saints" are fourth in the Championship's league table, trailing Leeds, the second-placed team, by only five points. However, the visitors suffered their second consecutive defeat in the league last weekend at the hands of Millwall (1:2), with Japhet Tanganga's and Zian Flemming's goals making all the difference. The guests scored a 1:2 loss. Southampton's manager, Martin, admitted in an interview that the worst thing his team needs right now is a mid-week FA Cup clash against Liverpool, despite the fact that the Saints triumphed over Walsall and Watford in the previous rounds.

After making it to the fifth round in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns, Southampton was knocked out of the ⅛ finals by Grimsby Town last year. Nevertheless, the "Saints" boast an enviable scoring streak, with the side having scored in each of their last 30 matches in all competitions! Tonight, the guests will be without Larios, who has been absent for several weeks, and the Scottish striker Stewart - both of whom are injured. Ryan Fraser (6 goals, 2 assists in the Championship) was ruled out over the weekend and will not be heading to Anfield for sure. On the other hand, Armstrong, the Championship's third-highest goal scorer (16 goals, 11 assists), along with Adams (9 goals, 3 assists), young talent Edozi (6 goals, 3 assists) and Smallbone (4 goals), are expected to bring creativity to the attack.

Head-to-Head

These two teams have not faced each other in the English Cup since Liverpool's 3:0 victory during the 1989-90 campaign. Their last head-to-head encounter in May of the previous year ended in a high-scoring 4:4 draw.

Prediction for the Liverpool - Southampton match

Without the high number of injured players, Liverpool would have undoubtedly been the clear favourites for this match. In the end, Klopp will have no choice but to start with academy graduates. However, it remains uncertain whether these young talents can deliver against an experienced Championship side. In addition, the "Saints" are determined to rectify their recent back-to-back failures and restore credibility with their fans. A handicapped bet of 1.5 on the guests looks rather reliable.