Does Kloppo defeat the Leicester curse?
Jürgen Klopp is a happy man these days. The German coach of Liverpool Football Club is primarily delighted with the return of his two attacking stars Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, who were still playing in a head-to-head clash for the Africa Cup title on Sunday but are now back at their club’s disposal for the hot final spurt of this season. Whether two-thirds of LFC’s dangerous trio will make their comeback as early as Thursday is still up in the air, however.
Regardless, “Kloppo” is battling his inner demons at the conclusion of matchday 24 in the Premier League. Indeed, the ex-Dortmund man has not conceded more defeats against any other English club so far than Leicester City (four, the same number as against Manchester City). The Foxes could become the first club ever to win the first and second legs against the Klopp-coached Reds in the same season. However, if we look at the odds between Liverpool and Leicester, everything points to a commanding victory for the home side.
The pronounced role of favourites for the runners-up is primarily based on the recent impressions of both teams. While the men from Merseyside are getting better and better after initial difficulties at the start of the year, it should not be forgotten that the Foxes lost 4-1 at second division side Nottingham at the weekend before the clash between Liverpool and Leicester.
Liverpool – Statistics & current form
Liverpool Football Club is playing a very decent season so far. In the Champions League, the Reds won their group; in the League Cup, the final against Chelsea is on the agenda at the end of the month and also in the FA Cup, all of the obligatory tasks have been completed. In view of these successes in the cup competitions, the decent results in the domestic Premier League are sometimes swept under the carpet.
With 14 wins from 22 games, Klopp’s team is currently in second place and only has to contend with the fact that Manchester City is the only other club with four more victories. The 2019/20 title winners should not give up just yet, however, as LFC could close the gap on the Citizens to six points with a win in their post-season tie against Leeds United.
Liverpool want to keep the pressure on
But it should be clear that Van Dijk and Co. cannot afford any more major slip-ups if they really want to get back into the race for the championship. Of course, this also means that a bet on a home win between Liverpool and Leicester on Thursday evening MUST pay off. Hopefully, the strong home record shows that the Reds have not lost any of their last 14 Premier League matches at Anfield Road (ten wins, four draws). The last five matches in front of the home crowd were all victorious.
The current form of Jürgen Klopp’s charges is also impressive, as after three winless league games around Christmas and New Year’s Day, they have since won five of their last six competitive games. The dress rehearsal at the weekend also went according to plan. Cardiff City were defeated 3:1 in the FA Cup and several key players were spared for the important weeks ahead.
In view of the aforementioned role of favourites against the surprise champions and the corresponding quotations, alternative odds should be brought into focus for Thursday between Liverpool and Leicester. On the one hand, you can bet on the Reds to score in both halves, which would have gone through in five of the last eight home games. On the other hand, the case can be made for a “nil” victory, especially as there have already been six victories in the league without conceding a goal at home in 2021/22. As we do not expect returnees Salah and Mane to be in the starting eleven yet, Luis Diaz, a winter newcomer from FC Porto, could make his PL debut for LFC. Otherwise, the list of players has almost been cleared up.
Predicted Liverpool line-up:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Jota, Firmino, Diaz
Last matches played by Liverpool:
FA Cup
02/06 2022 – Liverpool FC 3 – 1 Cardiff
Premier League
01/23 2022 – Crystal Palace 1 – 3 Liverpool FC
Carabao Cup
01/20 2022 – Arsenal London 0 – 2 Liverpool FC
Premier League
01/16 2022 – Liverpool FC 3 – 0 Brentford
Carabao Cup
01/13 2022 – Liverpool FC 0 – 0 Arsenal London
Leicester – Statistics & current form
While Liverpool have been finding their form more and more in recent weeks, Leicester City are not going at all as desired so far in the 2022 calendar year. The sad low point of the recent negative series was the heavy 1:4 defeat in the FA Cup at the weekend at second division Nottingham Forest. Before that, however, the Foxes only picked up a single point from two Premier League matches after the turn of the year. A large part of the matches could not take place due to the pandemic. The temporary suspension of training also caused lasting problems.
Against the backdrop of their disappointing form and the anaemic performance in the cup, which Rodgers’ team still managed to win in 2021, we are far from predicting a surprise coup for the visitors between Liverpool and Leicester. The fact that the 2016 champions could win the first and second legs against the Reds in the same season for the first time since 1998/99 doesn’t change that.
Leicester too weak away from home
Another aspect that absolutely must be mentioned relates to the weak away record this season. Only two of nine away games have been won so far. Instead, there have been three draws and already four defeats. Only Southampton and Leeds concede more goals away from home than the Foxes, who have picked up just two points from their last four matches away from home. By the way, the last PL match at Manchester City was lost 3:6 (!) on Boxing Day.
The situation is further aggravated by the fact that coach Rodgers is still without numerous players. On Thursday, for example, the tenth-placed team will be without Jonny Evans, Timothy Castagne, Jamie Vardy, Ryan Bertrand and Wesley Fofana. Daka, Albrighton and Soumare, three players who have been absent recently, could return to the team.
Predicted Leicester line-up:
Schmeichel; Pereira, Vestergaard, Soyuncu, Thomas; Ndidi, Tielemans; Albrighton, Maddison, Daka; Iheanacho
Last matches played by Leicester:
FA Cup
02/06 2022 – Nottingham Forest 4 – 1 Leicester
Premier League
01/23 2022 – Leicester 1 – 1 Brighton
01/19 2022 – Leicester 2 – 3 Tottenham
FA Cup
01/08 2022 – Leicester 4 – 1 Watford
Premier League
12/28 2021 – Leicester 1 – 0 Liverpool FC
Liverpool – Leicester Direct Comparison / H2H Record
Since 1963 Liverpool have not lost three consecutive first division games against Leicester. However, that is exactly what could now happen on Thursday, as the most recent two Premier League clashes have both gone to the Foxes. The most recent was a 1-0 win on 28 December.
In the League Cup, however, the Reds were able to take revenge shortly before Christmas. With an improved C eleven, Klopp’s team prevailed in a penalty shootout thanks to a last-minute equaliser and thus reached the next round. At Anfield Road, meanwhile, LFC are on five wins in their last six attempts.
Liverpool – Leicester Tip
The 24th matchday in England will be concluded on Thursday evening. Among others, Liverpool and Leicester face each other at Anfield Road. According to the betting odds, everything points to a success for the Reds, who are currently in better form, have not lost at home for 14 Premier League games and have also won five of the last six direct duels in front of a home crowd against the Foxes.
With LFC also boasting the best attack in the league and one of the most vulnerable away defences, we even think that the home win could be relatively clear-cut. In any case, we expect the Klopp team to score in both halves. In as many as five of the last eight home games, a bet on this would have gone through.
With the 2016 champions also missing a number of key players, having not won away from home for many weeks and having been embarrassed to the bone by second division Nottingham in the FA Cup at the weekend, betting on the hosts is definitely a must between Liverpool and Leicester.
As already mentioned, we’ll try and recommend that the runners-up in the table score at least one goal in both halves.
