Having failed to win either of their opening two Champions League fixtures so far this season, Liverpool will be hoping to claim their first three points in Group E, as Jurgen Klopp and his men travel to Slovenia this week. The home side have collected just a single point from their opening encounters, with the Slovenian champions hoping to make it through to the latter stages of the competition for the first time in their history.
Champions League – Ljudski vrt, Maribor – Tuesday 17th October – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 7 at Betway |
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Maribor
LiverpoolMatch Preview
Visitors Liverpool require three points in order to aid their chances of finishing top of the group, with Klopp’s side having struggled to two draws so far in the competition. The five-time European champions are on a poor run of form both domestically and in the Champions League, with Maribor looking to take advantage of any further slip-ups from the English giants. As one of the minnows of the competition this year, the emphasis will certainly be on the away side, with Maribor the significant underdogs for this encounter.
Maribor Team News & Form
Having lost out by three goals to nil in Sevilla last time around, Maribor will be hoping to put in a much better performance as they take on Liverpool on Tuesday. However, with just one goal in their opening two matches, as well as just a single point to their name, the home side will need to be at their very best to defeat Klopp’s men. With a crowd of just 12,000 expected to pack into the Ljudski vrt, Maribor will be hoping that their familiarity to the surroundings will play into their hands. Captain Marcos Tavares is perhaps Maribor’s most famous player, with the Brazilian having scored over 100 goals for the club since his arrival back in 2008.
Liverpool Team News & Form
Liverpool were disappointed to only manage a draw against a defensive-minded Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday, meaning that they have won just three of their opening top-flight matches. Two draws in the Champions League have led to further frustration amongst supporters, with a trip to Slovenia perhaps not exactly the perfect match to regain their confidence. Star attacker Sadio Mane is out for another month through injury, with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Daniel Sturridge hoping to start for the visitors.
Head to Head
The two teams have never previously met in any competitive fixture, with Liverpool’s trip to Maribor this week a completely new venture for the English club. As a result, there are no conclusions to be made in this area when looking to make predictions surrounding this encounter.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their status as one of Europe’s biggest clubs, those looking to back Liverpool to claim all three points against Maribor on Tuesday evening can find best odds of 2/11 at Ladbrokes, while the home side are the underdogs with the same bookmakers, at odds of 16/1. Elsewhere, betting on Liverpool keeping a clean sheet could well be worth utilising, with odds on this market of 8/15 available at Ladbrokes. Meanwhile, backing Roberto Firmino to score during the 90 minutes is on offer at 4/5 with the same bookmakers.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to back the Liverpool to win both the first and second half against Maribor, available at odd of 8/15 at Ladbrokes.