There is a dramatic group stage finale on the cards at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday night. This is fascinating because the Reds will win the group with a victory, will qualify with a draw and will be out completely if they lose this one. Spartak Moscow have to turn up and compete in the fixture because only a win is good enough for them to get through to the next round of the competition. Liverpool are 1/5 odds on favourites on home soil get the win, leaving the Russians at 12/1.
Champions League – Anfield, Liverpool – Wednesday 6th December – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 13/2 at PaddyPower |
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Liverpool
Spartak MoscowLiverpool Form
Liverpool played out a frustrating 2-2 draw with Sevilla and then beat Maribor at Anfield in the group stage this season. Now it’s all boiled down to a situation of needing to avoid defeat in this one. Liverpool have gone W6 D1 in their last seven European home fixtures,-; the draw with Sevilla snapping a six-match winning streak. They have avoided defeat in their last 12 home games in Europe (W8 D4). Liverpool have been in good form recently and have a twelve match unbeaten streak of form going at Anfield in all competitions. Mohamed Salah, who has eleven goals in his last ten games has to be a great anytime goalscorer option for this one.
Spartak Moscow Form
Spartak Moscow have to win or else they will end up in the Europa League next season. They are not in bad form really because only a defeat against Sevilla on matchday four of the Europa League has been their only loss in their last 19 games across all competitions. Here comes the issue though which may deny them the win. They are winless in their last ten road games in European competition (D5 L5) so that really stacks up against them. Only a win over Sevilla on match day three (and it was a big 5-1 one) snapped a nine-match run in Europe without a victory for them. So they aren’t exactly a major force to be reckoned with and that was evident in their home defeat against the Reds earlier in the group.
Head to Head News
The first meeting between the two was in the 1992/93 European Cup Winners’ Cup with Spartak Moscow winning 6-2 on aggregate. However, Liverpool won 5-0 at home and 3-1 in Moscow when then two met up again in the 2002/03 Champions League Group Stage.
Top Betting Tips
Liverpool are playing well enough at the moment to make relatively light work of this game. They handled the Russians well enough out on the road and with their attack flowing in full force at the moment, they can get the win that guarantees them moving through in top spot and they can win this to nil as most of their defensive deficiencies have been away.