Liverpool will entertain Leicester City at Anfield on Saturday hoping to build on their 4-3 victory against RB Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League. The Reds have won all seven of their Premier League matches so far this season. However, the Foxes will be confident about causing an upset away at Merseyside this weekend after securing a brilliant 5-0 win over Newcastle United not too long ago.
Talking Tactics
The European champions are expected to line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as they look to dominate possession and figure out a way to breakdown the Foxes backline. Jurgen Klopp will be relying on Mane and Salah to provide width down the flanks while Firmino pulls the strings by dropping into the pockets of spaces in midfield.
Brendan Rodgers might opt for a 4-1-4-1 formation as he hopes to see his side soak up pressure and hopefully catch the Liverpool defenders napping on the counter. Vardy will have to bear the goal-scoring workload for the Foxes on Saturday.
Team News
Liverpool
Klopp will be sweating on the fitness of Joel Matip after the Cameroonian defender was unavailable due to injury during his team’s 4-3 win over RB Salzburg on Wednesday night. The Reds centre-back will need to pass a late fitness test if he wants to be a part of Klopp’s starting XI this weekend.
Liverpool Predicted XI
Adrian; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; James Milner, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firimino, Sadio Mane
Leicester City
James Maddison is a slight doubt for this game and will be in a race against time to be fit for this clash. Rodgers might choose to play it safe and name him on his bench. Other than that, the Foxes have no fresh injury concerns ahead of their trip to Merseyside.
Leicester City Predicted XI
Kasper Schmeichel; Ricardo Pereira, Çağlar Söyüncü, Jonny Evans, Ben Chilwell; Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, Hamza Choudhury, Harvey Barnes, Ayoze Perez; Jamie Vardy
Key Men
Liverpool
Liverpool’s frontline of Mane, Firmino and Salah will be expected to do most of the damage up top. The talented trio returned to form in midweek when they put in a match-winning performance versus the Austrian champions at Anfield. Both Matip and Van Dijk will also have to find a way to keep Vardy quiet this weekend.
Leicester City
Vardy will be Rodgers’ best weapon going forward. The English striker is enjoying a rich vein of form in the Premier League, so he will be expected to score against a leaky Liverpool defence. Both Soyuncu and Evans will need to defend valiantly if the Foxes are to come away with a result from Anfield.
Odds
The bookmakers have made Liverpool a heavy favourite to secure a win versus Brendan Rodgers’ men on Saturday after they were priced at 4/9. The draw is listed as 15/4 while the Foxes are 11/2 underdogs to win this league encounter at Merseyside.
