Match Preview
Looking to bounce back from a two-game winless streak, Liverpool is ready to grapple with Middlesbrough when they travel to Riverside Stadium on Wednesday.
Liverpool’s start to the season has been sheer brilliant. However, the Kopites have faltered in their recent games. In the last match against West Ham United, Liverpool surrendered a 1-0 lead and succumbed to a 2-2 draw eventually. With 31 points from 15 games played so far, the Reds are in the fourth position of the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough find themselves at the wrong end of the table, lingering at 16th position of the league standings with 15 points. The Boro have managed only one win in their last five Premier League matches.
The Boro have done considerably well against big teams this season, drawing with Arsenal and Manchester City, and they will look to shut down the Liverpool when they host them in mid-week.
In previous encounters between these teams, Liverpool has emerged victorious in four of the six matches, while the home side has managed to win just once.
Team News: Middlesbrough
Aitor Karanka’s side will be attacked with unrelenting pressure by Liverpool, so they must be resilient throughout the game.
Injury concerns for the home team are quite big. Forward Alvaro Negredo is set to miss the match due to a hamstring injury.
Similarly, Uruguayan international Gaston Ramirez will also be unavailable for the selection due to his foot injury.
Manager Aitor Karanka will probably field his players with a 4-3-3 formation against Liverpool, which is the same formation they used in their last match against Southampton.
Middlesbrough: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)
Valdes – Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio – Forshaw, Clayton, de Roon – Fischer, Rhodes, Stuani
Team News: Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s biggest loss right now is the injury of his best player, Phillippe Coutinho. The Brazilian isn’t expected back until 2017 as he suffered an ankle injury in the match against Sunderland. Divock Origi is likely to start the match instead of the diminutive midfielder.
Daniel Sturridge is also ruled out of the match due to a calf injury.
Midfielder Oluwaseyi Ojo and Danny Ings will miss the match due to their back and knee injuries, respectively.
Adam Lallana, who scored a goal against West Ham, will hold a key position in Liverpool’s midfield alongside captain Jordan Henderson.
Roberto Firminio started against the Hammers after recovering from a calf injury. He is likely to be included in the starting eleven that faces Middlesbrough on Wednesday.
Liverpool: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)
Karius – Lovren, Matip, Clyne, Milner – Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana – Origi, Mane, Firmino
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool: Head-to-Head
Total games: 145 Middlesbrough wins: 42 Liverpool wins: 64 Draws: 39
Middlesbrough vs.Liverpool: TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.S., the match will be live on Premier League Extra Time and NBC Sports Live. For other regions, the TV schedule can be found on the link here .
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool: Prediction
Liverpool has not won last two Premier League games. Despite this, we expect them to win and bounce back in this fixture to claim all three points.
Final Predicted Score. Middlesbrough 1-2 Liverpool
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool: Betting Tips and Odds
- Middlesbrough Win: 9/2
- A draw:16/5
- Liverpool Win: 4/7
- Under 2.5 goals: 11/10
- Over 2.5 goals: 4/6
- Both teams score: 4/6
- Both teams fail to score: 11/10
The odds were provided by Paddypower .
Key Stats to consider
- Middlesbrough has won only three out of their 15 Premier League matches so far.
- Middlesbrough has won just once in their previous six matches against Liverpool.
- Liverpool has lost only two of their 15 Premier League matches so far.
- Liverpool has won four out of their last six matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions.
- Liverpool has scored goals, more than any teams in this season’s Premier League.
The Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool stats were provided by Whoscored .
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool: Live Stream
The match can be streamed live online by clicking on this link . The link will be updated just before kick-off.
[Featured Image by Jan Kruger/Getty Images]