Liverpool vs Leipzig Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Liverpool:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Phillips, Robertson; Jones, Wijnaldum, Thiago Alcantara; Salah, Jota, Mane
Leipzig:
Gulacsi; Mukiele, Upamecano, Klostermann; Adams, Sabitzer, Kampl, Olmo, Angelino; Sorloth, Nkunku
Liverpool will play the second leg last-16 Champions League tie against Red Bull Leipzig. The Reds won 2:0 as guests in the first match played in Budapest, with both goals coming after big mistakes from Leipzig players. It took 53 minutes for Liverpool to break the deadlock as Mohamed Salah pounced on a loose back pass before funneling coolly into Gulacsi's bottom corner. Minutes later, Leipzig’s shaky back line was punished once again, with Sadio Mane on call to double Liverpool’s lead and secure a two-goal victory. The reverse fixture was moved from England, with Budapest the destination once again.
Liverpool face a season-defining Champions League clash on Wednesday night. With Manchester City clear favorites for the Premier League title, the Reds have an uphill task of keeping a first-leg advantage to book a ticket for the quarterfinals. Usually a 2:0 away win from the first leg means a progress in the pocket, but not this time and not with this Liverpool. It was a disaster how Jurgen Klopp's men played in the last period. This is the biggest crisis in the club's history. Liverpool look a long way from the team that won the title last season and the Champions League before. But there is a reason for the poor results - the injury situation. Key defender Virgil van Dijk suffered a knee-ligaments injury in September and missed the remaining season. Only his absence is a huge handicap, but there's more - the other two central defenders Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are also long-term injury victims. Diogo Jota, who had a dream start in Liverpool's shirt, missed several weeks with an injury. There’s no shame in the Reds' season, they’ve just had long-term injuries to key players in key positions. Imagine Barcelona without Messi, they will be an average team in the first season. One player could make a big difference sometime. For this match Klopp remain without injured trio centre backs, but there is more as captain Jordan Hendersonb and Roberto Firmino are also injured. Finally, Ozan Kabak and Caoimhin Kelleher are rated as doubtful.
Leipzig are in excellent form. Since the defeat from Liverpool in the first leg, the German outfit have won four matches in a row, keeping three clean sheets during that spell. Red Bull beat Hertha Berlin with 3:0, beat Borussia Monchengladbach with 3:2 and beat Freiburg with 3:0 in Bundesliga. In addition, they were successful in the domestic cup where beat Wolfsburg with 2:0. As You could see, they are easily scoring goals. The atmosphere in the squad is excellent, while the players confidence is high. Coach Julien Nagelsmann is doing a great job and the fans are satisfied. This could be a big chance for him and his players. They have enough quality to give Liverpool some headaches defensively. Of course, avoiding mistakes is crucial. Nagelsmann has some injury worries ahead of this match. Left-back Angelino, who has missed the last three matches with a thigh injury, is rated as highly doubtful. Marcel Sabitzer and Willi Orban are also doubts, while Marcel Halstenberg, Konrad Laimer and Dominik Szoboszlai are all sidelined. On the positive note, Justin Kluivert is back from injury.
Liverpool vs Leipzig Prediction:
Liverpool are back in European action after poor domestic performances, which saw them suffering three defeats in four Premier League fixtures since the first-leg match. Their loss against Fulham was their sixth consecutive home defeat. Given Liverpool series of defeats at home, playing the last-16 second leg away from Anfield could be a positive moment. On contrary, Leipzig have scored three goals in all three of their league games since their European defeat. A solid result from the first leg should see the Reds safely through to the quarter-finals, but an early Leipzig goal would certainly make the Reds players very nervous and vulnerable. I expect Leipzig to produce lot of problems to Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Leipzig Pick: Leipzig +0.5 @ 1.67 with BetVictor