Liverpool head to Southampton on Tuesday knowing a defeat will hand Manchester City the Premier League title but, after the leaders’ draw at West Ham on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp’s side have been given a chance to close to within just a single point ahead of the final weekend.
Fresh off the back of their FA Cup triumph, Liverpool are in a boisterous mood, and dreams of a quadruple cannot be dismissed as they head to St Mary’s. The Saints sit in the lower mid-table ahead of the clash and have lost three of their last four games.
Southampton are currently in 15th place in the Premier League standings and have largely failed to meet expectations so far this season. The Saints suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford last week and will need to step up to the plate in this fixture.
Form Guide: Liverpool
Liverpool have been impressive in the Premier League this season, but yet it might not be good enough.
As things currently stand, Manchester City lead the EPL with 90 points. Liverpool trail by just four points going into this game. Liverpool have thrived under Jurgen Klopp and could potentially win a treble this season. The likes of Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane have excelled this season and will want to make their mark this week.
The Reds come into this game after a tough FA Cup win against Chelsea, with the game dragged into extra time and penalties once again. A big worry for the Reds is the fact that Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk suffered injuries in that game and now face a race against time to be fit for the remainder of games and the Champions League final.
Form Guide: Southampton
Southampton are still in danger of falling into the relegation group from the 15th spot they currently occupy on the EPL ladder. They are six points ahead of Leeds United and could mathematically end up in 18th place. Therefore, even a draw would be huge for Southampton on Tuesday.
Southampton have largely failed to meet expectations so far. The Saints suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford last week and will need to step up to the plate in this fixture. Southampton have been plagued by inconsistency throughout their season and have a point to prove in this fixture. Liverpool are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game.
How the game could go
Liverpool are the favourites going into this game and maybe the only concern will be if they can win with a clean sheet. They managed one in the FA Cup final against Chelsea but again here they will have a cautious approach, with Fabinho and van Dijk out injured. Southampton have scored in three of their last five matches and hold that threat in attack. We will back Liverpool to win here but both teams to score.
Liverpool have an impressive record against Southampton and have won 59 of the 115 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Southampton’s 31 victories.
This would be a relatively easy ask for the Reds side here today, despite their injury woes we are sure of Liverpool taking home all three points and applying the pressure on Manchester City at the top.
Betting Predictions
Liverpool to win
It’s no secret that Liverpool have been good this season and they’ve suffered just one defeat in 20, having won 14 of those games within 90 minutes. Southampton find themselves in the opposite form. The Saints are winless in four, have just one win in their last 10, and have been beaten seven times in that period. Eight of the last 10 head-to-head games have been won by Liverpool as well. This game is pretty straightforward as far as EPL games go. The Saints have looked downright awful over the last couple of months. Southampton have managed to add just one point to their season total over their last 12 matches. Bet9ja have 1.38, 1xbet have 1.3 and Paripesa have 1.39 odds.
Over 2.5 Goals
We’re expecting goals in this game to go north of the 2.5 total goals mark. Southampton have seen two of their last four home matches go beyond that cut-off whilst Liverpool has seen a minimum of four goals in two of their last five away matches. Two of the last four head-to-head matches have also passed the 2.5 markers. As for season averages, neither side averages above 3.5 but at 2.8 (Southampton) and 3.1 (Liverpool), their games tend to lean towards the high-scoring end. Bet9ja have 1.43 odds, Paripesa have 1.42 and 1xbet have 1.42 odds.
Anytime Goalscorer (Liverpool)
Luiz Diaz
The Colombian has seemingly fitted like a glove in this Liverpool squad. He bagged another trophy at the weekend after a blistering performance that was just shy of a goal for his side. With the absence of Mo Salah, we would see him starting here today and we are backing him to get on the scoresheet. Bet9ja have 2.55 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.50.
Mane
Despite playing the full 120 mins, Sadio Mane almost cost his side the FA Cup with his penalty miss but will surely be included here. A miss in the final would surely not put the inform player down as he would lead the line yet again as they maintain hopes of a quadruple. He has the second most PL goals for the team this season and would be vital with Salah unavailable. Bet9ja have 2.30 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.00.
Anytime Goalscorer (Southampton)
James Ward-Prowse
The English midfielder has to be the best pick to score for Southampton here today. He has been the standout player for the squad this season and was even nominated for the Player of the year this season. He would be looking to make it double-figure goals this season for the first time in his career. He has proven to be adept in dead-ball situations and converts freekicks in dangerous areas. Bet9ja have 4.90 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 5.00.
Che Adams
Che Adams has impressed this season but not as much as has endured a few hitches at several points in the season. He has the most goals for the team as a striker with just seven goals all season. This is not impressive looking at it but we can still include him here as a likely goal scorer. No goals in a long time wouldn’t bother him here as he looks to assure Southampton fans of playing PL next season. Bet9ja have 4.00 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 3.74.
Football Lover. All-round junkie of the beautiful game. Could be found watching football most of the time. If not he’s writing about them or making some punditry you don’t agree with. A certain bias for Arsenal and Santos FC.
