FA Cup preview: Liverpool vs Southampton – Prediction, Team News, Line-ups
Fresh off winning the Carabao Cup, Liverpool welcome Southampton to Anfield in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s side recorded their first piece of silverware on Sunday by beating Chelsea in the EFL Cup final, while the Saints suffered a 2-1 defeat against Millwall last time out.
Match Preview
Liverpool came into the Carabao final as underdogs as they were missing some of their key players, including Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, they produced a brilliant display at Wembley and deservedly won the match following an extra-time winner from Virgil van Dijk.
Manager Jurgen Klopp announced last month that he will step down from his role at the end of the campaign.
The German boss will want to make his final season memorable by winning all the available four trophies.
Having already secured one trophy, the Reds will now turn their focus to the FA Cup, a competition they have already won eight times with their most recent success coming in 2022.
Liverpool will square off with Southampton who are currently enduring a dismal run of form.
Russell Martin’s side slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Millwall at the weekend after first-half goals from Japhet Tanganga and Zian Flemming.
That was their third loss from their previous four matches, with the result leaving them five points behind the automatic promotion places.
Southampton, who saw off Walsall and Watford in the first two rounds, will now look to do well in the FA Cup, a competition they have won only once in 1976.
Team News
Victory came at a cost for Liverpool on Sunday as Ryan Gravenberch left Wembley on a stretcher and Wataru Endo also departed on crutches after the match. Manager Jurgen Klopp will also not be able to call on the services of Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones.
As for Southampton, Ryan Fraser picked up a knock against Millwall. The Newcastle United loanee has joined Ross Stewart and Juan Larios in the infirmary and so they will all be absent on Wednesday.
Liverpool vs Southampton potential line-ups
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Clark, Mac Allister, McConnell; Elliott, Danns, Gakpo
Southampton: Lumley; Bree, Stephens, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Rothwell, Smallbone, Aribo; Edozie, Adams, Sulemana
How to Watch?
All FA Cup fixtures can be watched through live TV streams.
Liverpool vs Southampton prediction
Jurgen Klopp will once again be relying on his teenage academy products for winning the FA Cup match against Southampton. However, we believe the quality of these players should be enough for the Reds to prevail against the Championship side on Wednesday.
Liverpool 2-1 Southampton