Southampton vs Liverpool: Premier League Preview and Predictions

The title hopefuls come to St. Mary’s on Friday to take on Southampton and the Saints look to play spoiler and get another result against a top 6 side.

Injury concerns for both teams are minimal going into this match. Former Saint Van Dijk picked up a slight knock in their last match but should be good to go to face his former club. As for the home side, Southampton will be missing Danny Ings due to him not being able to face his parent club and Mario Lemina is still recovery. Shane Long and Jannik Vestergaard are questionable to be healthy for the match.

With both teams at nearly full strength it will be a tough match for the Saints but Liverpool have struggled away from home this season and this leaves the door open for the home side to grab a result.

Why Southampton Will Win

The Saints have won 2 straight looking to make it three against one of the best clubs in the world. The first time the two sides met, all the way back in September, Liverpool won comfortably 3-0. A lot has changed since then and most for the better for Southampton.

In his stint as manager thus far, Hasenhuttl, has proven he loves to creating specific game plans for each opponent and giving his side a chance to win. If Vestergaard is healthy enough to play I would suspect the Saints will go back to 3 in the back with Valery and Bertrand resuming their wingback roles.

No Danny Ings does create an issue when selecting his team on Friday. I would not be surprised if he goes without a recognized striker to start much like what he did in the second half of the Tottenham match. If he does start a striker it will likely be Shane Long and if that is proving futile Sims could be brought on for Long and create issues with his movement and ability on the ball.

The key to success will be the midfield. If Saints can pressure Liverpool’s midfield into making a lot of back passes and turning the ball over they will put themselves in a position to score on the counter and take at least a point from this match. Southampton will struggle to break down Liver’s defense so their best chance at scoring will be a well worked counter attack or a set piece for Ward-Prowse

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• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

Why Liverpool Will Win

Their high-powered offense and tough as nails defense can beat any team in the world when both are working. Liverpool will likely possess the ball for most of the match and will have the majority of chances as well. It will just be a matter of how efficient they can be converting their chances.

When Tottenham lost to Saints, a big part of it was their inability to finish their chances in the first half and it let Southampton hang around and comeback. If Liverpool can score an early goal or two it will take the air out of the Stadium and they will most likely have a comfortable victory.

The speed and ability of Mane and Salah will without a doubt cause issues for the backline and they both could be in for a big day if they are able to take advantage of Southampton’s lack of pace in the back.

Predicted Line-ups

Southampton: 3-4-2-1

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn

Defenders: Jan Bednarek, Jannik Vestergaard, Maya Yoshida

Midfielders: Yan Valery, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oriel Romeu, Ryan Bertrand

Attacking Midfielders: Josh Sims, James Ward-Prowse

Forwards: Nathan Redmond

Liverpool: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker

Defenders: Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold

Midfielders: Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum

Forwards: Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah

Predicted Score:

Southampton 1-1 Liverpool