Liverpool will begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a clash against Derby County at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Liverpool will return to Anfield on the back of a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and they will be brimming with confidence against Derby County. Jurgen Klopp’s men will look to end the first half of their season on a high, and a win here would certainly give them a morale boost.
It has been a sub-par season for Liverpool so far and they are 8th in the Premier League. The rest during the 2022 FIFA World Cup will allow Klopp to hit the reset button and get his troops in order for the second half of the season. A win prior to that would be ideal.
Meanwhile, Derby County are in very poor form right now, and the League One side will be massive underdogs heading to Anfield during the midweek.
The Rams have lost two and drawn three of their last six matches across all competitions, and the visitors will need a massive slice of luck to get something out of this contest.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Our Carabao Cup journey begins tomorrow 🏟#LIVDER pic.twitter.com/FMhtWoSYNq
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 8, 2022
The Reds have had a number of injury problems this season, and it is certain that Jurgen Klopp will rotate his players here to keep the squad fresh and injury free. The home side will be without Arthur Melo, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Joel Matip and Naby Keita.
Liverpool are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 here which has yielded great success for them in the past. Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal for Liverpool against Derby. He has been outstanding in the cup competitions and is an able understudy to Alisson Becker.
In the back four, Calvin Ramsay could get his first Liverpool start. Nat Phillips and Joe Gomez could start as the centre-backs, and Kostas Tsikimas should come in to replace Andrew Robertson.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs match fitness and is expected to start here. Jordan Henderson will anchor the midfield, and Harvey Elliott will be Liverpool’s main source of creativity on the night.
Darwin Nunez will look to add to his tally against the minnows, and he is set to lead the line for Liverpool against Derby County. Finally, Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones will line up on either side of Nunez in a front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher; Ramsay, Phillips, Gomez, Tsimikas; Elliott, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Jones, Nunez, Carvalho
Derby County
The League One outfit will be without some of their players for the crunch clash. Curtis Davies and James Chester are ruled out through injury. Eiran Cashin is suspended, after his straight red card against Torquay on Sunday.
Paul Warne is likely to set his side up in a 4-4-2 formation, and the visitors will take a defensive approach here.
Joe Wildsmith will start in goal for the Rams. In the back four, Korey Smith, Richard Stearman, Craig Forsyth and Haydon Roberts will look to keep the Liverpool attackers in check. Smith and Roberts are likely to defend deep and provide an outlet to the side from the wide areas during transitions.
Louie Sibley and Max Bird will start in the middle of the pitch, and they will look to shield the centre-backs and disrupt Liverpool’s build-up. In the wide areas, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Lewis Dobbin will add some pace and power for counter-attacks.
James Collins and David McGoldrick will start as the front two and will look to test the second-choice Liverpool backline with their physicality and directness.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Wildsmith; Smith, Stearman, Forsyth, Roberts; Mendez-Laing, Sibley, Bird, Dobbin; McGoldrick, Collins
Key Stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches against Derby County.
- Liverpool have kept four clean sheets in their last six matches against Derby County.
- Derby County have conceded nine goals in their last six outings across all competitions.
- Liverpool have picked up four wins from their last six outings, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Player to Watch
Darwin Nunez
The Uruguayan striker has been in impressive form of late, and he will look to get on the scoresheet here. Nunez was excellent against Spurs and created a goal for Mohamed Salah while chipping in with a great performance against Napoli as well.
The former Benfica striker is full of confidence, and the Rams will struggle against his physicality, pace and directness. It will be interesting to see if Nunez rises to the occasion against Derby County.
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Prediction
Liverpool 3-0 Derby County
The home side are far better in terms of quality, and this should be an easy win for them. They have been inconsistent this season, but an upset at Anfield seems improbable against a struggling Derby County side. The gulf in class is immense, and this should be a comfortable home win.
