3rd place Liverpool host 9th place Southampton for their round 36 encounter. After the massive defeat suffered against Crystal Palace two rounds ago, Liverpool bounced back and picked up an impressive win 1-0 against Watford thanks to Emre Can’s brilliant goal. The Reds have secured their 3rd position in the standings taking advantage of both Manchester teams negative results. They have played The Saints three times this season failing to find the back of the net in all three occasions. Liverpool have the 2nd bets attack in the league with 71 goals scored in 35 matches. The Red’s main objective is to finish the season in top four and earn a lucrative Champions League position.
The Saints are coming after two defeats in their last three Premier League fixtures and they will be eager to come back to winning ways. Their manager Claude Puel is fighting to save his job with his players being disappointed of his management style. Both Ryan Bertrand and Virgil van Dijk are ready to quit the club in the summer if Puel stays in charge. Their recent performance has been poor and we are sure that the internal problems have affected their football being the main reason of their recent results. They have done well this season but not enough to qualify in the European Cups. Given their last three mutual encounters we believe that The Saints will be a really tough opponent for Liverpool.
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is expected to return in the starting XI after going off injured inside 15 minutes of the match against Watford. We expect Adam Lallana to replace Divock Origi in the starting team. Southampton should start the match with the same XI that played Hull City last round. We expect an intense contest with big potential to be a goal-fest. Since Jurgen Klopp took charge of the team, there have been 208 goals scored in the EPL fixtures involving the Reds. Liverpool have the worst defense from the top 7 teams in the league conceding 42 goals in 35 rounds. Despite their club internal problems Southampton’s players will try to give their best and pull of the upset. Even if they will not manage to return home with the three points after this travel we expect them at least to contribute on the scoreboard. The odds for a home win are decent @1.6 with Pinnacle and we can use them in a parlay/accumulator bet. Southampton are priced @5.8 with Paddy Power to win this clash.
Best picks for the match:
2nd Half goals – Over 1.5 @1.83 with Bet365
Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals in the match @2.35 with Bet365
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