THE DETAILS
Venue – King Power Stadium, Leicester
Referee – Anthony Taylor
Date & Time – Saturday, February 13th @ 12:30
Current Odds – Leicester 13/5, Draw 13/5, Liverpool 1/1
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Liverpool must bounce back from last Sunday’s Manchester City defeat. The Reds have to remember that they were looking the more likely to win that game with the score balanced at 1-1 in the second half. Some uncharacteristic individual errors cost them dearly and the title seems well out of reach for this season. That means there’s a top-four challenge to focus on as well as a good run in the UEFA Champions League. It all begins for us again on Saturday at Leicester. Come on you Mighty Redmen!!
RIP Elisabeth Klopp
FORM
Leicester City Form
Leicester have won six of their last 10 games in all competitions including a five-match win streak.
Last weekend, The Foxes drew 0-0 at Wolves and before that they won 2-0 at Fulham. Their last home game was a 3-1 defeat to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.
Leicester are currently third in the league, three points clear of Liverpool.
Liverpool Form
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has dissipated over the last six weeks or so. Last Sunday, Manchester City’s 4-1 win at Anfield was the final nail in the coffin for any hopes they had of catching Pep Guardiola’s side between now and May.
The Reds record in their last 9 league games – W2 D3 L4. Not the form of champions. Of course, Liverpool have had a freakishly bad season, injury-wise. It eventually caught up on Jurgen Klopp’s men, missing the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joël Matip, and Diogo Jota. Each week seemed to bring with it further bad news of someone with a serious injury.
With Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies brought in as reinforcements, Liverpool must now focus on salvaging a top-four finish in the Premier League and mounting a serious challenge for another Champions League title.
TEAM NEWS
Leicester City Team News
Leicester City are without Timothy Castagne, Wesley Fofana, Wes Morgan, and Dennis Praet.
The Foxes are likely to play with a 4-2-3-1 shape with Jamie Vardy leading the line in attack.
Nampalys Mendy and Youri Tielemans will probably be the duo at the base of the Leicester midfield with Marc Albrighton, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes linking with Vardy further up the pitch.
Jonny Evans and Çaglar Söyüncü is the most likely central-defensive partnership for the hosts with the excellent Ricardo Pereira and young James Justin at right and left-back respectively.
Leicester don’t have any players suspended for this game.
Liverpool Team News
The Liverpool players currently injured are Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota, Naby Keïta, and Joël Matip.
Alisson Becker had a nightmare against Manchester City but he will bounce back, of that there is no doubt. He will be between the sticks against Leicester.
In defence, Ozan Kabak could well get his first Liverpool start after his deadline day move from Schalke. Kabak and Fabinho could be the heart of The Reds’ back four for much of the remaining games this season.
If Kabak comes in, that will allow Jordan Henderson to move back into midfield. Henderson, Thiago Alcântara and Gini Wijnaldum is probably the ‘first-choice’ midfield so expect to see that lineup on Saturday.
Liverpool’s front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané will be starting again, most likely.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Leicester City XI (3-4-2-1) – Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Söyüncü, Justin; Mendy, Tielemans; Albrighton, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
Liverpool XI (4-3-3) – Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Kabak, Fabinho, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Mané
WHEN THEY LAST MET
Leicester haven’t won any of the last seven meetings between the sides.
Last season, Liverpool won this fixture 4-0 at the King Power Stadium and beat Brendan Rodgers’ side 3-0 at Anfield.
The King Power game was on Boxing Day 2019 with Liverpool arriving back in great form from their FIFA Club World Cup title from Qatar. The 4-0 win that night came courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino (x2), James Milner (penalty), and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
PREDICTION
LEICESTER CITY 2 – 2 LIVERPOOL
Expect a good open game with plenty of goalmouth action. Both teams will probably be confident going forward with Liverpool having actually played pretty well against Manchester City on Sunday before individual errors late-on cost them the game. I think a draw is a likely result in this one as the sides battle it out for a top-four spot.
