Southampton vs Liverpool: Preview and Betting Tips | EFL Cup 2024

Match: Southampton vs Liverpool
When: Wednesday, 18 December 2024, 22:00 SAST
Where: St. Mary’s Stadium

The hosts have sacked coach Russell Martin and will have under manager Simon Rusk in charge. The Reds have dropped points in their last two league matches and will want to progress to the semi-finals.

Southampton Form

Saints have had a dire season and sit bottom of the Premier League after 13 defeats in 16 matches. Some heavy recent defeats have cost coach Russell Martin his job. Their last three results have been a 5-1 home loss to Chelsea, a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa and a 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham.

Before that, there were vague signs of life. Four straight league defeats with 10 goals leaked was a poor run but they looked better in losing just 1-0 to Man City. A 3-2 home win over Stoke City in the Carabao Cup preceded a 1-0 home win over Everton in the league.

Southampton Team News

Aaron Ramsdale should return from injury for this match in goal. Fellow goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is absent and Jack Stephens is suspended in defence. Forward Ross Stewart is injured and will play no part.

Will Smallbone and Spanish left back Juan Larios are also ruled out. After using a midfield diamond in the loss to Spurs, caretaker coach Simon Rusk could switch to a more standard 4-3-3 shape.

Southampton Motivation

Saints need a win to boost confidence and also to reach the semi-finals.

The new coach should have them much more pragmatic and realistic in their approach. Don’t expect to see as many risks taken when playing out from the back.

Liverpool Form

Liverpool have dropped points in two league matches in a row having won seven on the bounce before that across all competitions. They bat Brighton 3-2 in the last round of the League Cup and then beat the Seagulls 2-1 in the league before smashing Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in Europe.

After winning 2-0 vs Aston Villa and 3-2 from behind versus Southampton, they put up two top displays at home. A 2-0 win over Real Madrid was followed by a convincing 2-0 win over Man City. They leaked in conceded in the last minute to draw 3-3 at Newcastle and could only draw 2-2 versus Fulham with ten men on Saturday. Those draws came either side of a 1-0 win at Girona in the Champions League.

Liverpool Team News

Arne Slot won’t have Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate or Kostas Tsimikas in defence. Diogo Jota scored on his return up front but Federico Chiesa is still set to be missing.

Alexis Mac Allister is available after suspension whilst Curtis Jones has an injury. Joe Gomez may play at left back with Andy Robertson suspended after his red card vs Fulham.

Liverpool Motivation

Slot’s team are playing with belief and confidence. They will attack Saints in this match, knowing their defensive frailties.

Liverpool want to win this trophy and will play a strong XI.

Key Stats

Southampton have lost 13 of their 16 EPL matches this season (36 goals leaked)

Southampton have lost 6 of their last 7 matches vs Liverpool (21 goals conceded)             

Liverpool have won 19 of their 23 matches this season (52 goals scored)

Liverpool have scored 2+ goals in 10 of their last 11 matches

Liverpool’s Mo Salah has scored in 7 of his last 8 league matches (9 goals scored)

Verdict

Even with some rotation, the Reds should have far too much for Southampton on Wednesday.

Best Bet: Liverpool win (-1 handicap) at 2.15
Alternate Bet: Liverpool win and Over 2.5 goals at 1.95
Goalscorer Tip: Mo Salah to score anytime at 1.76