Southampton vs. Liverpool: Tactical Preview of Premier League Game
Southampton face Liverpool in what is undoubtedly the game of the weekend in the Premier League. Ronald Koeman's men outplayed the Reds on the opening day of the season and somehow lost 2-1, so they'll be gunning for revenge this time out.
Southampton News
Koeman could welcome several players back into contention following a pretty bad stretch of injuries. Morgan Schneiderlin, Shane Long and Toby Alderweireld are all returning to fitness.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Adding Schneiderlin to the protective layer could prove vital, as the Reds have long struggled against him and Victor Wanyama as a pivot when pitted against them.
Graziano Pelle will soldier on solo until Long regains full sharpness, while Sadio Mane and Eljero Elia have done little to suggest they should be dropping out of the lineup.
Left-back is a concern, as Ryan Bertrand is still suspended and Matt Targett is a question mark. Maya Yoshida could be on standby again.
Liverpool News
The Reds played against Besiktas in midweek and managed a late, 1-0 victory courtesy of a contentious penalty. It was a fairly draining evening and took far more out of the players than Brendan Rodgers would have liked, so changes could be afoot here.
The back line has been very settled, with Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and Emre Can all forming a bond in a new system. Can was a little sloppy on Thursday, which surprised a few, but unless Rodgers wants to put Dejan Lovren in versus his old club, there are no other choices.
Steven Gerrard told ITV's broadcast that he is still "a few weeks away" from gracing the pitch, so Joe Allen could continue in his place alongside stand-in captain Jordan Henderson. Philippe Coutinho looks exhausted, so he's a potential replacement candidate.
Key Point 1: Mario Balotelli?
Since the 3-0 loss to Manchester United on December 14, Liverpool have played the 3-4-2-1 formation in every single match. That's been part-necessitated by the absence of Daniel Sturridge, but now that he's back and Mario Balotelli has shown improvement, a tough decision awaits Rodgers.
There's a chance he wants to play both here, but how he does that is unclear. He could drop Sturridge in as a No. 10 alongside Raheem Sterling and in place of the burnt-out Coutinho, or he could switch the system to a 3-4-1-2 and play Balotelli up front alongside Sturridge.
If it's the latter, we've seen this system under Rodgers before. Liverpool tried it at Old Trafford upon Luis Suarez's return from one of his biting bans in order to play both him and Sturridge together. Unfortunately, it fell apart, with Victor Moses looking useless in the No. 10 role.
The Balotelli-Sturridge partnership showed hints of promise against Crystal Palace in the Cup. We're willing to bet Rodgers is desperate to see more of it.
Key Points 2: Open Season for Saints
Southampton against Swansea (home), February 1: 62 per cent possession, 16 shots, 0 goals.
Southampton against West Ham (home), February 11: 66 per cent possession, 21 shots, 0 goals.
The St. Mary's Stadium crowd are sick of playing teams who park the bus. Both Swansea and West Ham United simply set out to nullify and frustrate Southampton, rarely committed more than three men forward and defended their own box like their lives depended on it.
Fortunately, Liverpool aren't going to do that, and Southampton are going to love it. Their league-best defence (17 goals conceded in 25 games) will relish an actual attack, while the extra space at the other end will help Pelle and Co. get over the hump.
Mane and Elia are incisive, quick players, but they work best in transitions and in space. Dominating the ball and having to force the ball wide to Nathaniel Clyne for a cut-back cross doesn't really suit them, so this could be the perfect chance for Saints to gain revenge.
Southampton's possession, shot and defensive stats via WhoScored.com.
