Prediction: Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: Unibet

Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to face each other for the fourth and final time this season on Wednesday at Anfield, in the match officially a part of the seventh round of the Premier League season, one of those games that were postponed when Queen Elizabeth II died back in September last year.

These teams met twice in the FA Cup, drawing 2-2 at Anfield and Liverpool winning 0-1 at the Molineux, and once in the Premier League, with Wolves demolishing Liverpool 3-0 at home.

Liverpool

For Liverpool, it’s important to bounce back from the shocking home defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League and the subsequent failure to take three points from Selhurst Park, and manager Jurgen Klopp has vowed they will, believing his men have what it takes to finish in the top four.

At the moment, Klopp’s team sit in seventh place with 36 points, nine less than Tottenham Hotspur in fourth though with two games in hand over the North Londoners, five less than Newcastle in fifth, and three less than Fulham in sixth, with two games in hand on the latter as well. Brighton and Brentford are on their tail, with a tally of 35 each.

Liverpool’s last-six run in all competitions includes a 2-1 defeat away to Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup, that 3-0 defeat away to Wolves, a 2-0 win over Everton in the Merseyside Derby at home, a very important 0-2 victory away to Newcastle, the 2-5 Champions League home defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16, and the goalless draw away to Crystal Palace.

The situation obviously reflects the difficult position of the team that missed out on the Premier League title by a single point last season, while reaching the Champions League final and winning both English cups. The need for a significant change in the squad is clear, and they are reportedly preparing for an important summer in the transfer market.

Team News

Having picked up a shoulder injury against Newcastle, forward Darwin Nunez played (and scored) against Real but missed the Palace trip. Now he’s back in team training and in contention. The same goes for defender Ibrahima Konate, who was out for a while with a hamstring problem.

On the other hand, Klopp won’t be able to call upon winger Luis Diaz, who needs a few weeks more to recover from his long-term knee injury, midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who is out with a groin problem, defenders Joe Gomez (muscle) and Calvin Ramsay (knee), and midfielder Arthur Melo who has recovered from a serious hamstring injury but currently lacks match fitness.

Alisson Becker will be in goal, with Konate expected to slot into the back line alongside Virgil van Dijk, replacing Joel Matip who hasn’t been on best of forms lately. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson should start on the defensive flanks, though Klopp might choose to rotate here with Kostas Tsimikas and James Milner providing him with options. Stefan Bajcetic and Fabinho should start in the middle of the park, along with Harvey Elliott. Upfront, Roberto Firmino could be given a chance from the start, with Mohamed Salah on the right and Diogo Jota on the left.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

The season hasn’t been great for Wolves either, but they finally seem to be on the right track. At the start of the season, they were much too close to the bottom of the Premier League table for comfort, dwelling for a while in the red zone. But the dismissal of manager Bruno Lage and the subsequent appointment of Julen Lopetegui in his place seems to have been a smart move.

Wolves are still not nearly where they want to be. They haven’t moved very far from the danger yet, sitting 15th right now with 24 points, just three more than Everton and Bournemouth in the zone, two more than Leeds United in 17th, and one more than West Ham in 16th. Leicester City in 14th have the same tally, while Nottingham Forest in 13th have a point more.

Lopetegui can be proud of his men for beating Liverpool 3-0 at home, but the rest of their last-six list doesn’t look nearly as good. They were beaten by Liverpool at home 0-1 in the FA Cup, lost 3-0 away to Manchester City, beat last-place Southampton 1-2 away, lost 0-1 at home against Bournemouth, and drew 1-1 away to Fulham.

Team News

Lopetegui cannot rely on striker Sasa Kalajdzic, whose season ended with an ACL tear before it even began. Wingers Chiquinho suffered the same problem, and Hwang Hee-chan is out with a hamstring. Midfielder Boubacar Traore is out with a groin problem, while forward Matheus Cunha faces a late test to see if the ankle problem he picked up against Fulham is serious enough to rule him out.

With Jose Sa in goal, Max Kilman and Craig Dawson should pair up in the heart of defence, with Nelson Semedo on the right and Rayan Ait-Nouri on the left. Ruben Neves and reported Liverpool target Matheus Nunes should be tasked with contesting the middle of the park, flanked by Pablo Sarabia and Daniel Podence. Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore are likely to form the attacking duo, seeking to use pace and smart positioning against Liverpool’s high defensive line.

Conclusion

Wolves have reached a certain level as Lopetegui’s work produces results, but Liverpool are still extremely inconsistent in their performances. The outcome of this clash is pretty much on them – they have the quality to beat this Wolves team without major difficulties if they get their heads on straight. Otherwise, they might suffer another embarrassing evening in their own home.

And while it’s practically impossible to guess which face of Liverpool we’ll be seeing in this match, seeing goals at both ends of the pitch would hardly be surprising.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: Unibet