Liverpool vs Southampton Betting Tips (27/11/21) – Reds Rolling On and Keen for More Anfield Goals

Jurgen Klopp, as he tends to do, confounded everyone with his strong team selection against FC Porto on Wednesday, and he was rewarded with a comfortable 2-0 victory.

The likes of Alisson, Joel Matip, Thiago, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane all started against the Portuguese outfit, and the Anfield faithful were rewarded with a strong showing from their heroes that maintained their 100% record in the Champions League this term. They could make it six-from-six in Milan on December 7.

The strong Liverpool eleven never really hit top gear against Porto, but in truth they never really needed to, and a stop-start first half performance was improved in the second courtesy of two excellent goals from the rejuvenated Thiago and Salah.

The technique Thiago showed in his 25-yard strike was world-class, hitting across the ball to send it scuttling towards the bottom corner and in for his goal of the campaign.

In the 70th minute it was time for Salah’s customary goal, and it came in trademark fashion too. Receiving the ball on the right, he dumbfounded a number of Porto defenders before finding room for the shot on his lethal left foot – the rest, as they say, is history.

Porto could only muster a solitary shot on target, and their only real chance came early on in the piece when Otavio really should done better when well placed.

Liverpool themselves had the ball in the net on two more occasions, but Mane’s strike and Takumi Minamino’s volley were both struck off by VAR.

There was a rare start for Neco Williams, while young Tyler Morton made his Champions League debut in midfield – the 19-year-old barely put a foot wrong in an assured showing.

With continental action parked for the time being, it’s back to the grind in the Premier League. Southampton are the visitors to Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool Team News

The Porto game could not have gone any better on all fronts, with Thiago, Salah and Mane only playing about three-quarters of the fixture before being handed a nice early night.

The rested Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk will all have benefited from a midweek off too, and so Klopp will be feeling pretty chipper about things as he selects his side to tackle the Saints.

We know that Curtis Jones, Bobby Firmino and Joe Gomez won’t feature at the weekend, and while Naby Keita is set to return to training it’s unlikely that he will be risked against Southampton.

The goalkeeper and back four pick themselves you would think – Andy Robertson is probably still ahead of Kostas Tsimikas in Klopp’s affections, while striking the balance in midfield will also be pivotal. You’d think that only two of Fabinho, Thiago and Jordan Henderson would start on Saturday, with more forward thrust required – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may get another go in that guise.

In attack, Diogo Jota will be restored as he continues his goal-laden partnership with Salah and Mane.

Southampton Form

What is interesting about Southampton this season is that they are playing like the archetypal mid-table team – and their results are showing it.

Their Expected Goals difference is 0.2, their actual goal difference is -3 and their results – W3 D5 L4 – showcase a team that is somehow ultra-consistent and yet not at the same time.

The Saints didn’t win in the Premier League this term until October, and you have to praise their board for sticking by Ralph Hasenhuttl – they’ve gone W3 D1 L1 since then.

Victories have come in the games you would expect them to against the likes of Leeds, Watford and Aston Villa, although last time out they were the curse of the new manager honeymoon when they tasted defeat to Norwich City in their first game under Dean Smith.

Liverpool vs Southampton Betting Tips

There has definitely been an improvement in Southampton of late, with better form and more clean sheets improving their standing in the Premier League table.

But Liverpool, at home and with a near full strength team, should make light work of mid-table opposition, and they have already served up correlating victories at Anfield over the likes of Burnley (2-0), Crystal Palace (3-0) and Arsenal (4-0).

Brighton gave the Reds a headache, but that was an anomaly rather than the norm, and we expect a comfy Liverpool victory on Saturday.

Odds of 1/3 will hardly boost your Christmas shopping kitty mind you, so we’re taking Liverpool to Win to Nil at a handsome 6/4.