Liverpool begin title defence against Leeds
Liverpool vs Leeds United - 12/09/2020
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Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool begin the defence of their crown when they welcome newly-promoted Leeds United to Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds secured their first top-flight title for 30 years in style, finishing a whopping 18 points clear of Manchetser City last term.
Jurgen Klopp’s side didn’t lose a league game until February, going 27 games without defeat before eventually losing to Watford.
Liverpool finished up with just three defeats in 38 Premier League outings last season, conceding just 33 goals along the way.
Despite dominating large spells of the Community Shield last month, Liverpool lost to Arsenal on penalties. So, Klopp will no doubt be eager for his side to hit the ground running on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Leeds are back in the top flight following a 16-year absence. Marcelo Bielsa’s team secured promotion by finishing ten points clear at the top of the Championship.
Not only were Leeds to second-highest scorers in the Championship last term, but they also boasted the best defensive record in the division.
The Whites’ post-lockdown form was almost perfect, with seven wins and one draw coming in their final eight games of the campaign.
Bielsa has strengthen his squad with a number of notable additions. Striker Rodrigo has signed from Valencia for a club-record fee, while centre-back Robin Koch has joined from Freiburg.
Helder Costa and Illan Meslier have both had their loan deals made permanent, with Manchester City youngster Jack Harrison returning for another loan spell.
Head-to-head: Liverpool and Leeds have only faced each other twice since the Whites were relegated from the Premier League in 2004.
The two sides met in the EFL Cup in 2009 and 2016, with Liverpool claiming clean-sheet victories on both occasions.
Team news: Jordan Henderson is a major doubt for Liverpool, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xherdan Shaqiri and new signing Kostas Tsmikas are all unavailable.
As for Leeds, Adam Forshaw remains a long-term absentee. Rodrigo and Koch could both make their competitive debuts for the club this weekend.
Liverpool last suffered a home defeat in the league all way back in April 2017, so it’s difficult to imagine newly-promoted Leeds putting an end to that seemingly unstoppable run.
Leeds will put up a decent fight, but Forebet predicts that Liverpool will score over 2.5 goals on their way to victory.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
EPL
642214
1
3 - 1
3.39
32°
1.30
1.30
6.15
10.00
-1
1
1
4 - 3(3 - 2)
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