Liverpool came oh so close to the Premier League championship last season, but faltered at the final few hurdles. The Reds kickstart their quest for that elusive title this season at home against Southampton, after pillaging the smaller club’s roster during the summer transfer window.
Even without their star striker Luis Suarez, the Reds shouldn’t be counted out of this year’s title chase. Don’t forget to check out our list of other EPL title sleepers, as well as our complete preview of the new Premier League season. Read on for more on Liverpool-Southampton.
[sc:Soccer ]Liverpool vs. Southampton Betting Preview
When: Sunday, August 17, 2014, 8:30 AM EST
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Line: Southampton +564 at Liverpool -287, tie +356; total 3.0 – view all EPL lines here
What’s at Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Liverpool and Southampton will look to kick off their new league campaigns with a victory even after suffering key losses to their respective teams. The Reds begin life without Luis Suarez, while the Saints will have a completely new-look lineup after selling off key personnel in the offseason. This will be the first marquee match in a Premier League that has a very different feel to it after a massive transfer period saw players move to and from almost all the major European clubs.
Betting on Liverpool
Flush with cash from the very-lucrative Suarez sale, the Reds brought in five new players in the offseason, three of which (Lambert, Lovren and Lallana) were purchased from their first opponents of the season, Southampton. With Lallana currently injured, only Lambert and Lovren are fit to face their former club.
However, neither figures to immediately be part of manager Brendan Rodgers’ starting lineup. Instead, Rodgers will likely field a relatively unchanged team from last season.
The main difference, of course, will be the loss of Suarez, who either scored or assisted in 43 of the team’s 101 league goals last season. But the famed SAS strike partnership may still be alive, with young Raheem Sterling ready to take on a starring role up front alongside Daniel Sturridge (21 league goals in 29 games last season).
The 19-year old carried over his excellent form from last season (nine goals in 33 appearances) into this preseason, which should be enough to earn him the start. Expect the speedy Sterling to cause a Saints defense–which lost two of its best players (Lovren and Luke Shaw)–all sorts of problems.
Liverpool had an impressive home record last season, with 16 wins, one draw and just two defeats at Anfield.
Betting on Southampton
So many Saints went marching out of Southampton that it’s hard to keep track who’s still there.
The eighth-placed team last season sold off three of its best players to Liverpool as mentioned earlier, and cashed in on sending their most promising young player (Luke Shaw) to Manchester United. Even their chairman Nicola Cortese left, and manager Mauricio Pochettino followed him out the door.
New boss Ronald Koeman will have the unenviable task of picking up the pieces after an epic summer exodus.
He’s already reinvested some of those transfer funds into his decimated squad, with the signings of English ‘keeper Fraser Forster, midfielder Dusan Tasic and forward Graziano Pelle. Tasic and Pelle scored 39 goals between them in the Dutch league last season. Koeman has also made some shrewd loan deals for leftback Ryan Bertrand and Algerian midfielder Saphir Taider.
Even with a severely weakened lineup, Southampton will still be strong in midfield. Holdovers Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama form an imposing physical pair capable of disrupting Liverpool’s skilled ball handlers. Koeman can also call on the likes of Tasic and Gaston Ramirez for a little more quality and creativity going forward.
But with half of their starting backline from last season gone, not to mention the fact that they’re visiting Anfield, expect Koeman to adopt a more cautious approach in his first game. This means stacking his midfield with as many men as possible to solidify their compromised defense, and limiting his team’s attacking intent.
Southampton have won two of their last four meetings against Liverpool. In fact, the Saints were one of just two teams to leave Anfield with all three points last season.
Writer’s Prediction
It’s highly unlikely Liverpool reverts back to last season’s free-scoring ways in their first game without Suarez, who was so key to their offense. At the same time, Southampton will look to adopt a more conservative approach while their new squad takes shape. Take the total to go under 3.0 goals. Create a betting account today and get set to enjoy another season of intense Premier League action.
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