Liverpool will take on Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, looking to get their league campaign back on track.
Liverpool have failed to win their last three matches in the league and they are under tremendous pressure to bounce back strongly against Wolves on Saturday.
The Reds cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to secure UEFA Champions League qualification this season. And the fixture on Saturday will be a must-win contest for the Merseyside outfit. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers come into this game on the back of a comprehensive defeat against Manchester City. And they will look to bounce back at home.
These two sides faced each other in January, and Liverpool picked up a narrow 1-0 win at the Molineux in the FA Cup. The home side will be looking to avenge that defeat here and dent Liverpool’s hopes of securing a Champions League place.
Wolves are only out of the bottom three on goal difference, and they cannot keep dropping points if they want to beat relegation this season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Working ahead of a trip to Wolves 💪 pic.twitter.com/6xKaJoWc37
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 2, 2023
Team News and Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
The home side will be without the services of Chiquinho, Pedro Neto, Sasa Kalajdzic, and Boubacar Traore because of injuries. Julen Lopetegui is expected to field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jose Sa in goal.
Nelson Semedo and Hugo Bueno are expected to start as the full-backs, and they will look to overload the flanks during counter-attacks and also keep Mohamed Salah in check. Nathan Collins is expected to partner with Max Kilman at the heart of the Wolves defense.
In the midfield pivot, Ruben Neves will partner with his compatriot Matheus Nunes. The two players did quite well the last time Wolves faced Liverpool, and they will look to assert their dominance here.
Adama Traore and Hwang Hee-chan are expected to line up as the wingers here and they will look to provide pace and sharpness from the wide areas. Pablo Sarabia will look to add creativity as the central attacking midfielder and he will also look to link the attack with the midfield. Raul Jimenez is set to leave the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Neves, Nunes; Traore, Sarabia, Hee-chan; Jimenez
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp will be without the services of Arthur Melo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konate. Alisson Becker is set to continue in goal. And Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are set to retain their places as well as the full-backs.
Liverpool will need their creativity from the wide areas in order to break down Wolves here. They will also need to protect the centre-backs in the absence of van Dijk and Konate. Joel Matip is set to partner Joe Gomez at the heart of the Liverpool defence.
In the middle of the park, Fabinho will anchor the midfield with Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson adding drive and creativity alongside him. Darwin Nunez is said to lead the line for the Reds, with Mohamed Salah and January signing Cody Gakpo on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold; Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
Key Stats
- Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in seven of their last nine away matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Liverpool have won eight of their last ine matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Liverpool have picked up just one win from their last six matches in all competitions.
- Wolves have picked up just one win from their last six matches in all competitions.
- The last six matches between Liverpool and Wolves have produced a total of 15 goals.
Player to Watch
Matheus Nunes
The Portuguese midfielder caused all sorts of problems for Liverpool earlier this season, and he is our man to watch once again. Nunes has also emerged on the radar of the Merseyside outfit. So Jurgen Klopp will have the chance to take a closer look at him.
The 24-year-old is likely to be afforded space and time to assert his dominance in the middle of the park. The likes of Henderson and Fabinho have been quite underwhelming this season and Nunes could help Wolves control the tempo in the middle of the park.
Prediction
Wolves 2-1 Liverpool
This is likely to be a close contest, with both teams desperate to pick up all three points. Neither side can afford a defeat here, and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and produce a strong showing here.
Liverpool are in dreadful form right now and they are lacking in confidence and sharpness. Wolves are aware of the fact that their survival is on the line and they cannot afford to slip up. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Wolves here.