Jurgen Klopp’s men put on a decent shift against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield last weekend but dropped a couple of points, thanks to some dodgy decisions from the officials. They will look to bounce back this weekend, but face a tricky test, as they travel to St Mary’s to take on Southampton, who are slowly finding their feet.
They are unbeaten in the last six games across all competitions and though lost to the Reds at Anfield earlier in the season, were hard to beat on four occasions in the last campaign. But Klopp’s men are in decent form and expected to go for the kill. Here is the predicted lineup the Reds might play in this tie:
Team News:
Liverpool have their UCL Round of 16 tie against FC Porto on Wednesday but Klopp revealed that he will not be resting any of his key players. They have no new injury issues to worry about ahead of this game. Full-back Joe Gomez missed the previous game with a niggle but is back training. However, he might be rested for the mid-week game. Adam Lallana and Alberto Moreno are back in training and are a part of the squad this weekend while Ragnar Klavan will undergo late fitness tests, to find a place on the bench.
Expected lineup (4-3-3):
Defense:
German ace Loris Karius is the now first choice GK at Liverpool and his outing against Spurs last weekend will give him a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. All eyes will be on Virgil van Dijk, who will return to St Mary’s for the first time after his infamous move to Anfield in January. He will be partnered by Dejan Lovren, another ex-Southampton CB, who was also solid in the previous game.
Andrew Robertson has done pretty well and should retain his place on the left flank while Trent Alexandre-Arnold should start at RB, to keep Gomez fresh and ready for the Porto tie.
Midfield:
Jordan Henderson is an important player for Liverpool in games like these. He should start as the deepest of the midfielders while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has not made it into the starting XI in the last couple of games, could also get a start.
Georginio Wijnaldum came off the bench against Spurs but could return to the first team, for this trip to St Mary’s.
Attack:
The Reds have no reason to tinker with their front-line. Wingers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane ( another ex-Soton man) will be expected to add creativity to the side while Roberto Firmino will do his thing, in a false-9 role.
Here is how they might line up:
