Preview and Prediction
The Reds are targeting their way back to the top and this weekend’s fixture seems to be the good chance as they will be playing host to Wolverhampton without their main scorer Raul Jimenez. At the same time, Spurs might stumble while facing off Arsenal in the north London derby. There is no other way but to secure three points here despite the injury crisis in Klopp’s squad.
The teams’ previous matches
Liverpool was striving to pick up maximum points while hosting Ajax in the midweek Champions League fixture. They had to rely on Andre Onanna’s slight error for a winning goal which was scored by Curtis Jones’ tap into the back of the net.
Their counterpart, Wolverhampton managed to snatch a big win last weekend while visiting Emirates Stadium. Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence bagged the winning goal while The Gunners only responded once by Gabriel Magalhaes’s header. Unfortunately, their top scorer Raul Jimenez suffered a serious injury which forces him to be on the sideline for a while.
Possible tactic
Jurgen Klopp might still be employing 4-3-3 with the transition to 4-2-3-1 considering the number of injured midfielders. Diogo Jota will be facing his former club this season, a move which Wolves might regret now. At the back, Neco Williams should return in the starting IX as Trent-Arnold is still doubtful to be fit whereas between the sticks, Klopp is more confident with Caoimhin Kelleher than Adrian.
Meanwhile Nuno Santo will have to think of a new formation or approach without his Mexican sensation. Pedro Neto is the only option left upfront so he is likely to occupy the false nine role in a 4-6-0 formation supported by Adama Traore on the right, Daniel Podence on the left and Joao Moutinho in front of the two defensive midfielders, Leander Dedoncker and Ruben Neves.
Players to watch
The former Wolves man, Diogo Jota is certainly one of the key figures this season by registering nine goals in all competitions. Some other top performers are still their vital names in the past three seasons, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
In Wolves, the Portuguese connection remains strong there despite losing Diogo Jota. The youngster Pedro Neto is the current top performer with three goals and two assists followed by the former Barcelona man, Nelson Semedo. Another notable name to watch is Daniel Podence who has netted two goals and provided two assists.
Liverpool vs Wolves Prediction
The Reds’ ambition to seal a win here is still probable but certainly will be tougher without a number of vital figures in the line up or bench. Nevertheless, this will be a distinguished stage for Diogo Jota who is facing his former club for the first time. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when he himself put his name on the score sheet. Overall, a narrow win for the home side is still likely.
Betting odds
The punters certainly back Jurgen Klopp’s men to win with the odds to win at 5/9, whereas Joao Moutinho and Co are projected to win only at 31/5. The draw is at the value of 17/5.
