Southampton vs. Liverpool: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News
Southampton welcome Liverpool to St Mary's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in the third clash between the two sides this season, looking to avenge a 6-1 defeat to the Reds on the south coast back in December.
A goal from Jordon Ibe, a Daniel Sturridge brace and a Divock Origi hat-trick gave Liverpool an emphatic League Cup victory that day, cancelling out Sadio Mane's early strike, but since that loss, Ronald Koeman has steadied the ship at Southampton.
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The Saints are now on course for a comfortable top-half finish in the Premier League and head into Sunday's clash level on points with Liverpool—though Jurgen Klopp's side have two games in hand.
As the campaign reaches its climax, both Southampton and Liverpool hold faint hopes of European qualification, and a win on Sunday would provide either side with a much-needed boost.
Will Klopp's men triumph once again at St Mary's, or will Southampton have revenge on their League Cup tormentors?
Date: Sunday, March 20
Time: 1:30 p.m. GMT / 9:30 a.m. ET
Venue: St Mary's Stadium, Southampton
TV Info: Premier League Extra Time (U.S. only)
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Form Lines (Last 5 Games)
Southampton: W-L-L-D-W
Liverpool: L-W-W-W-D
Team News
Koeman heads into Sunday's clash able to call upon two key players, with Jose Fonte and Victor Wanyama both returning from suspension and likely to come back into the fold immediately.
The Dutchman will remain without Jay Rodriguez, Charlie Austin and Florin Gardos, however, with the trio all battling injury, as Koeman told the club's official website ahead of the game:
"Jay made a good step, because it was the first 60 minutes that he played after a long time and he will play again in the under-21s this weekend for 90 minutes and if he gets that 90 minutes plus a good two weeks of training then he will be available for the first team.
[...]
We have still Charlie Austin out, not available, like Florin, but Charlie is doing well. He's close to being back and normally he will be fit after the international break.
"
Koeman is also buoyed by a successful appeal to rescind Mane's red card from last Saturday's 2-1 win away to Stoke City, with the 23-year-old poised to contend for a starting role in a competitive, healthy Southampton squad.
Meanwhile, Klopp finds himself in a similarly strong position when selecting his starting lineup, as Liverpool's key players hit top form as they head into the business end of the 2015/16 campaign.
The German is likely to be without first-choice left-back Alberto Moreno, however, with the ex-Sevilla man missing Thursday night's 1-1 UEFA Europa League draw with Manchester United with a hamstring injury, with Klopp explaining his situation to reporters, including the club's official website, on Friday afternoon:
"I don't know [whether he will play] yet because we had to wait as long as possible to make the scan because a scan in the first moment gives you [only] a little sight and we did it after training at Old Trafford.
We saw nothing in the scan and it was good but Alberto is a player who really ignores pain and he felt a little bit when he tested it so we could not take the risk.
Today, I don't know when exactly, he will have another scan and it'll be much more clear if there's something or not.
If there's nothing, maybe we try it for Sunday, but I don't know exactly.
"
Moreno joins Lucas Leiva, Kevin Stewart, Danny Ings and Joe Gomez on Liverpool's injury list, while James Milner misses out through suspension, but Klopp's squad is in a strong position otherwise, with Jon Flanagan—in high spirits after signing a new three-year contract with the club on Friday—available for selection.
Jordan Henderson was substituted midway through Thursday's draw at Old Trafford through illness, but he is likely to recover for the trip to St Mary's, while Martin Skrtel could feature after returning from injury.
Predicted Lineups
With plenty of options at his disposal, Koeman has varied his starting lineup in recent weeks, but looking to avoid another humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, the returns of Fonte and Wanyama could prompt a compact 4-3-3 setup.
Fraser Forster will continue in goal, behind a back four of Cuco Martina, Virgil van Dijk, Fonte and Ryan Bertrand, with Wanyama joining Steven Davis and Jordy Clasie in a three-man midfield.
Graziano Pelle is likely to continue in attack, while Shane Long could drop out for Mane, with the former Red Bull Salzburg forward interchanging with Dusan Tadic on the flanks.
With Moreno injured, Henderson out of sorts and Sturridge looking short of fitness in Thursday night's clash with United, Klopp could make three changes to his side for the trip to St Mary's.
Simon Mignolet should keep his place in goal, with the Belgian largely unchallenged by back-up option Danny Ward, while Jon Flanagan could come in at right-back, replacing the suspended Milner—with the No. 7 having deputised for Moreno at Old Trafford.
Dejan Lovren, Mamadou Sakho and Nathaniel Clyne are likely to make up the rest of Klopp's defence, shielded by Emre Can and Joe Allen, with the Welshman in line to replace Henderson if needed.
If Klopp decides to rest Sturridge, Origi represents the ideal alternative, with the 20-year-old looking to add to his hat-trick against the Saints, supported by Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.
Likely Southampton XI: Forster; Martina, Van Dijk, Fonte, Bertrand; Davis, Wanyama, Clasie; Tadic, Pelle, Mane
Likely Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Flanagan, Lovren, Sakho, Clyne; Allen, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Origi
Players to Watch
Graziano Pelle
Pelle marked an emphatic return to goalscoring form last weekend, netting twice to give Southampton the win away to Stoke—his first league goals in over four months.
The lofty Italian has toiled admirably in the centre-forward's role since the turn of the year, but he has struggled to convert this into goals. At the Britannia Stadium, he looked back to his best.
Looking to add to his tally on Sunday, Pelle will be desperate to make his mark against the Reds.
Philippe Coutinho
Like Pelle, Coutinho hit the back of the net in his last appearance, and charging beyond Guillermo Varela before chipping the ball over David De Gea on Thursday night, the Brazilian did so in style.
Addressing the media, including the club's official website, after the game, Klopp hailed Coutinho's first-half strike against United as a "genius moment," and while his performance at Old Trafford was far from his best, the 23-year-old underlined his match-winning quality once again.
Having played second fiddle to Firmino and Lallana in recent weeks, Coutinho could shine again at St Mary's.
Key Battle
Sadio Mane vs. Jon Flanagan
Liverpool's move to reward Flanagan with a new, long-term contract serves as a signal of Klopp's faith in the young defender and his key role at the club over the next few years and beyond.
Having spent 20 months on the sidelines with knee problems, Flanagan has returned to the first-team fold on Merseyside and is yet to taste defeat in the Premier League, having taking up his place in defence at home to Manchester City and away to Crystal Palace.
At Palace, however, the pacy Yannick Bolasie was a tough test for Flanagan, and his limitations—namely a lack of pace—were exposed. The 23-year-old could endure a similar afternoon against Mane.
Mane's speed, agility and skill could trouble Flanagan, who will need to be at his best to keep the Southampton man quiet.
Odds
Southampton: 7-4
Liverpool: 47-25
Draw: 23-10
Odds via Odds Shark and correct at time of writing.
Ticket Information
For ticket information on all Premier League games visit the official site or go to the ticket page on Southampton's official website.
