Liverpool vs. Southampton Prediction & Betting Tips

The upcoming FA Cup 5th round fixture between Liverpool and Southampton promises to be an interesting Premier League vs. Championship encounter between two teams competing at the top of their respective divisions. As Premier League leaders, Liverpool enter the fray with a blend of confidence and determination, while Southampton, battling in the EFL Championship, are poised to test their mettle against top-flight opposition.

Date: 28/02/2024

Kick-off time: 20:00

Location: Anfield

Liverpool's resurgence under manager Jürgen Klopp has been worthy of much praise, with the German transforming them from a team grappling with inconsistency last season to genuine title contenders this term. Sitting atop the Premier League table, Liverpool have showcased their quality and resilience, epitomized by their ability to grind out results even in the face of adversity while also displaying shades of the vintage Liverpool side that dominated the Premier League only a few seasons back.

The leap made by midfielder Curtis Jones this season has been complemented by the summer acquisitions of midfielders Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endō have added much-needed quality and depth to the side in the middle of the park. Additionally, the emergence of right-back Conor Bradley, who has been nothing short of a revelation, has been huge for the team in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. These signings, coupled with the reinvigoration of established stars, have propelled Liverpool to new heights, instilling belief in their ability to compete on multiple fronts.

In the FA Cup, Liverpool's victories over Arsenal and Norwich City allowed the Reds to reach the 5th round of this competition as they chase the memories of their 2021-22 triumph, which is no doubt still fresh in their minds.

On the other hand, Southampton find themselves navigating the challenges of the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last season. Under the stewardship of manager Russell Martin, Southampton has shown glimpses of their potential, implementing a possession-based style that emphasizes fluidity and control. Despite enduring periods of inconsistency, Southampton's resilience and ambition has seen them maintain a foothold in the promotion race, with key players like top goalscorer Adam Armstrong, who has 16 goals, and right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who the Saints were lucky to keep hold of in summer, two of the standout supporters this season.

While their FA Cup record may not boast the same pedigree as Liverpool's, Southampton are a strong side and will put up a more stern test than most other sides in the EFL would likely manage.

Liverpool Team News:

Liverpool are going to have an exceptionally tough time trying to recover from the strains of a 120-minute cup final on Sunday afternoon so a number of changes are likely here.

Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, are both very likely to come into the starting lineup, while Kostas Tsimikas could also come in at left-back if Jürgen Klopp opts to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, with Gomez possibly partnering Quansah at the heart of the defence.

The Reds will hope to welcome back at least one of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai, but given only three days will have elapsed between Sunday's final and this game that's does not seem likely.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alissson, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Ryan Gravenberch, Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajcetic all remain out injured.

Southampton Team News:

Ross Stewart and Juan Larios remain Southampton's only injury concerns here.

In light of successive defeats more changes to the starting XI are likely, with Adam Armstrong, Joe Rothwell and Sam Edozie all strong contenders for recalls to the starting lineup after missing out against Millwall.

Liverpool enter this game fresh off the back of one of the greatest afternoons in the club's recent memory. The Reds came into Sunday's League Cup final against Chelsea without a litany of star players and were stripped down to the bare bone as far as their squad depth is concerned. On top of that, Ryan Gravenberch was forced off early with a serious-looking ankle injury, which as a result forced Jürgen Klopp to move academy product Conor Bradley from his favoured right-back out to the right wing in just his 11th appearance for the club.

As the game progressed, both sides had goals (contentiously) chalked off by the officials while Jürgen Klopp began to gradually introduce a further series of highly inexperienced academy products into the fold amidst a lack of other options as his side began to fatigue. Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns, all complete rookies, were all on the pitch for Liverpool at the end of the 90 minutes while Jarrel Quansah was introduced in extra time after the game finished 0-0. In the end, Liverpool's youngsters performed admirably and they were all rewarded fittingly as Virgil van Dijk steered a header into the far corner after 118 minutes to secure the League Cup trophy for the Reds.

The result was Liverpool's fourth win in a row in all competitions and was a win that took every last drop of sweat from every player to secure, and you could see at the final whistle just how much it meant to everyone involved as euphoric celebrations ensued.

The Reds have lost only one of their last sixteen games in all competitions and coming off the back of such an occasion it's fair to say they're in a good place.

Southampton embarked upon a 25-match unbeaten run stretching from September all the way through to February, Southampton have hit a dip in form which, as previously mentioned, is the second time this has happened this season, following on from a poor run prior to their lengthy unbeaten run.

Their last five games have seen them win two games while falling to three defeats. Their most recent game was them fall to a shock 1-2 loss at home to Millwall, a result that few people saw coming given Millwall’s awful form coming into the game. Che Adams equalised on 34 minutes after Japhet Tanganga put Millwall ahead after just five minutes, but Zian Flemming netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time that the Saints could not come back from.

The loss means they’re now coming into this one off the back of successive defeats following the 1-2 loss to Hull City in their prior game, a defeat that occurred only two matches after a 3-1 loss away at Bristol City, meaning the Saints have now lost three of their last four games.

They have, though, lost only one of their last fourteen games away from home so that should make pleasant reading for fans ahead of kick-off for this one.

Liverpool will be totally spent in terms of energy reserves but the Reds have so often demonstrated an ability to find results amidst various fitness crises so we think this game will be no different. Given Southampton have experienced a dip in form themselves in their last few games, we think Liverpool will get the job done at Anfield on Wednesday night. Liverpool 3-1 Southampton.

ITV One is the chosen broadcaster for this game so all U.K. viewers can watch the game on this channel while also having the option of viewing online on the ITV X website. Additionally, BBC Radio Merseyside and BBC Radio Solent will provide full radio coverage of the game.

• Latest match predictions
• Football tips
• Football accumulator tips
• Football bet of the day