Liverpool head out to Spain on Tuesday to take on Sevilla in a crunch match in Group E. Liverpool currently top the group, but a defeat on Tuesday, coupled with a Spartak Moscow victory over NK Maribor would see Liverpool drop to 3rd place, meaning they would have to beat Spartak on the final match day to qualify. When these two sides met earlier in the campaign they played out a thrilling 2-2 which showcased all that is good and bad with this Liverpool side as they attacked brilliantly but defended terribly.
Champions League – Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla – Tuesday 21st November – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 13/5 at Ladbrokes |
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Sevilla
LiverpoolSevilla
Sevilla come into this game in solid form with four wins from their last six games. They recovered from their narrow defeat to Barcelona before the international break with a hard fought 2-1 win against Celta Vigo at the weekend and they come into this game full of confidence. The club have a few injury concerns ahead of the game with Daniel Carrico, Jose Mena and Nicolas Pareja all ruled out.
Liverpool
Liverpool come into this game on a superb run of form that has seen them win four games in a row in all competitions, conceding just once and scoring 13 times. Jurgen Klopp certainly seems to have addressed some of the defensive issues which plagued his side earlier in the season and he will be confident that his side can get something from Tuesday’s match. They picked up a routine 3-0 win against Southampton on Saturday with Mohamed Salah scoring twice before Philipe Coutinho added another in the second half. Adam Lallana was expected to feature against his old club Southampton at the weekend before he failed a late fitness test, but Klopp is confident the England star will be available on Tuesday. Nathaniel Clyne remains side-lined, but other than that, Klopp should have a fully fit squad to pick from.
Talking Points
- Mohamed Salah has now scored 14 times in all competitions and is the leading scorer in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have scored eight goals in their two away matches so far, although seven of them were against NK Maribor.
- Sevilla have won both of their home games by a score line of 5-1 and will be confident of continuing that unbeaten record.
Prediction
Sevilla know that if they draw this match, then they will only need to beat the minnows of NK Maribor in their final group game to qualify for the knock out stages. Things could be slightly more complicated for Liverpool and they will face a tough game against Spartak Moscow at Anfield to guarantee their qualification unless they win on Tuesday. I can see this game ending in a score draw and that is probably a result which both managers would take before kick off.
Betting Tips
Sevilla start this match as favourites at odds of 17/10, whilst an away win for Liverpool is priced up at 13/8 and the draw at 13/5. Those odds on the draw look very tempting to me and I think both managers would be happy with that considering where it would leave them in terms of the qualification picture. It’s tough to see Liverpool winning this game as they have struggled away from home in the league this season in big games. I do think they will score though and the 1/2 on BTTS looks like easy money to me.
BTTS (Yes) – 1/2 (Ladbrokes)