Liverpool take on Crystal Palace in their next Premier League outing, hoping to bounce back from their humiliating defeat against Real Madrid.
Liverpool were beaten 5-2 at Anfield in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 first leg, and Jurgen Klopp will demand a strong reaction from his players against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Reds have picked up two wins from their last two league matches and they need to build on that if they want to stay in the race for a top-four finish. The Reds cannot afford to drop points at this crucial stage of the season and this will be a must-win contest for them.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace are currently 12th in the league table and they will be hoping to get back to winning ways here. The Eagles are up against an inconsistent Liverpool side and they will fancy their chances of grinding out all three points here.
Patrick Vieira’s men are coming into this game on the back of a six-match winless run in the league. The home fans will expect the players to step up and deliver. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Next up, a trip to Selhurst Park 🛣️ pic.twitter.com/WUxKr6WY2g
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 23, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Patrick Vieira will be without the services of Nathan Ferguson, Sam Johnstone and Wilfried Zaha. The absence of Zaha will come as a major blow for the home side. The Crystal Palace winger is ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Vieira is likely to feel his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Vicente Guaita in goal. Nathaniel Clyne and Tyrick Mitchell are likely to be deployed as the full-backs here, with Joachim Andersen partnering with Marc Guehi in the heart of the defence.
Cheick Doucoure and Albert Sambi Lokonga will start in the midfield pivot, and they will look to protect the central defenders and break up the opposition play. Michael Olise and Jeffrey Shlupp will line up as the wingers, with Jordan Ayew in the central attacking midfield position. Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Guaita; Clyne, Anderson, Guehi, Mitchell; Doucoure, Lokonga; Olise, Ayew, Schlupp; Mateta
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp will be without the services of Calvin Ramsay, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Thiago Alcantara is sidelined for a few weeks with a hip injury. Meanwhile, Luis Diaz has returned to training but the Colombian is not ready to feature yet.
Jurgen Klopp will persist with his favoured 4-3-3 formation here, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will retain their positions in the starting lineup as the full-backs.
The wide duo will look to add creativity from the wide areas and protect the side defensively. Joel Matip will partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence after a shambolic performance from Joe Gomez in the midweek.
Brazilian midfielder Fabinho will anchor the Liverpool midfield and will look to break up the play and win the ball back. Jordan Henderson and Stefan Bajcetic will look to add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park.
Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are likely to start as the wide attackers here. Finally, January signing Cody Gakpo will lead the line for the visitors. So Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will be options on the bench for Klopp.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Bajcetic; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Key Stats
- Liverpool have won their last eight away matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions.
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last eight away matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace have failed to win their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have conceded ten goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
- The last six meetings between these two sides have produced a total of 20 goals.
Player to Watch
Darwin Nunez
Simply outrageous from Darwin Núñez 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/BLSAwbclAS
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 24, 2023
The Uruguayan international has been in impressive form in his last few outings, and he will look to make his mark against Crystal Palace.
The Eagles have looked vulnerable at the back of the season, and they could struggle against the 23-year-old’s pace, flair and directness. Nunez has been involved in a goal in four of his last five starts for the Reds. He is our man to watch out for this weekend.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool
Although the Reds have an excellent head-to-head record against the Eagles, this is likely to be a difficult outing for them. The humiliating defeat against Real Madrid will surely take its toll on their morale and confidence.
Furthermore, the home side are on a winless run and they will be desperate to bounce back. This is likely to be a close contest, but Crystal Palace should be able to exploit Liverpool’s vulnerabilities at the back and grind out all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 home win.
