Liverpool - Wolverhampton prediction
Liverpool will look to get back to winning ways when they host Wolves in a postponed game on Wednesday night at Anfield.
Wolves are not particularly productive in attack. But at least their defense has been relatively solid this season.
They have conceded a total of 33 goals. Which is less than Champions League chasing Tottenham, for example.
Their games are often low-scoring, with an average of 2.13 goals per game.
More than 58% of their matches this season have resulted in two or fewer goals.
Which makes 'under' look like a very good option to predict here.
At the same time, Liverpool are still far from their best in an attacking sense.
The return to full fitness of Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will at least give Klopp more options.
Along with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunes and Cody Gakpo. The trio that started together most often in 2023.
But as we saw against Palace at the weekend, Liverpool's front line is not working to its maximum capacity.
They should do better at Anfield than at Selhurst Park.
And if Wolves can defend with discipline and diligence, it won't be an easy task for Klopp's side.
However, Liverpool should take this opportunity to catch up with the teams above them in the table.
But we shouldn't expect a loose, exciting end-to-end encounter.
Therefore, I expect the victory for the Reds to come only in the second half.
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Liverpool are in crisis - only 2 wins in 7 games (2-2-3)
It is a mark of how far Liverpool have fallen that the 0-0 draw with Palace on Saturday was seen as a decent result.
That game came just days after Jurgen Klopp's side suffered a 2-5 home defeat to Real Madrid.
Which left them on the brink of Champions League elimination.
In that context, avoiding defeat at Selhurst Park was a step forward.
In terms of the race for the top four, however, it was a case of 2 points lost, not 1 gained.
Against opponents who haven't won a game in any competition this calendar year, Liverpool certainly put in a disappointing performance.
Both teams had chances to emerge victorious. But overall, Palace posed the bigger threat.
Liverpool looked shaky at times.
Perhaps a consequence of the loss of confidence that followed the defeat by Real Madrid.
Liverpool need to make up ground on the Top 4
Poole are still in the race for the Top 4 largely because they have played fewer games than most of the teams around them.
That's why Wednesday's meeting is so important.
Currently seventh in the table, they are 9 points behind Tottenham, who are in the final Champions League spot.
But the Reds also have 2 games less than Conte's wards.
A Top 4 finish will at least salvage something from this season.
Liverpool have effectively dropped out of the Premier League title race in the first few months of the campaign.
And now they are on the verge of exiting the Champions League, having already been kicked out of the FA Cup and League Cup.
To have anything to play for in the final few weeks of the season, Klopp's side must continue to put pressure on the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle above them.
From fighting for the Top 4, Wolverhampton went from fighting for survival
It's easy to forget now, but for a short while last season Wolves were among the top four contenders.
After a 2-1 win over Leicester around 12 months ago, Bruno Lagi's side were 6 points off the Champions League places.
With two games less than the fourth Manchester United.
Ultimately though, Wolves were unable to sustain the form that had taken them to this position.
They won just three of their last 14 games and eventually finished 10th.
Lazi failed to turn things around at the start of the current campaign. And when he was sacked in early October, Wolves were 18th.
Wolverhampton stabilize under Julen Lopetegui
After Steve Davies' inauspicious stint as interim boss, the club appointed former Real Madrid and Spain manager Julen Lopetegui just before the World Cup.
He did an excellent job of making the Wolves harder to beat.
After inheriting a team that was bottom of the division, the Spaniard lifted them to 15th place.
Wolves are averaging 1.56 points per game under Lopetegui.
As the equivalent figure from before he took over was 0.67.
There is, however, much work to be done. Because Wolves are only three points away from the relegation zone.
Only Everton (17) have scored fewer goals than their 18.
And Wolves have won just one game against a team currently in the top half of the table.
But that win was against Liverpool - 3-0 earlier this month.
If Wolves can repeat that performance at Anfield, they will do the double against the Reds in a season for the first time since 1950.
Squads and injured footballers
Liverpool
Lineup: Alison; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dyck, Robertson; Baycetic, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Jota
Injured: Alcantara, Ramsey, Diaz, Gomes, Nunes (questionable)
Wolverhampton
Lineup: Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Neves, Lemina, Nunes; Traore, Jimenez, Sarabia
In question: Kunya, Neto
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