Southampton will be tough opponents for Liverpool
Liverpool and Southampton meet at Anfield on Wednesday night in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final. The first leg finished 1-0 at St Mary’s, but in truth, the Saints should probably have recorded a bigger win in the clash.
The two teams head into this vital second leg in very different moods. The Reds will be favourites to record a win and progress to the final. However, their form has taken a turn for the worse of late, as the Reds have now recorded just one win in their last six outings in all competitions.
Their performances have been a far cry from earlier this season when Jurgen Klopp’s team played such exhilarating football. Their delightful attacking has not been as incisive in recent games, while their defence has looked highly vulnerable.
One positive for Klopp’s side has been their recent home record. In fact, they had gone a whole year without losing a league game on home soil until Swansea pulled off a shock 3-2 win on Merseyside at the weekend. The game was definitely not the best way to prepare for a semi-final.
The visitors head into this clash on the back of consecutive wins against Norwich and Leicester last time out. The 3-0 win over champions Leicester on Sunday also saw the Saints record a third clean sheet in their last four outings in all competitions.
One of the key aspects of the Saints good defensive displays has been the performances of Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk. The highly rated star picked up a knock in the Leicester win and is a major doubt for the vital cup tie, though. It will be a bad blow to the Saints if he is ruled out through injury.
However, with or without Van Dijk, Southampton will be tough opponents on Wednesday night and it remains to be seen if the Reds can recover from the first leg deficit.
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