Liverpool vs. Leeds, EPL Round 19, 26 December 14:30
Liverpool vs. Leeds, EPL Round 19, 26 December 14:30

The Reds took on Tottenham at the London Stadium last Sunday in their last EPL match where they played in an absolute thriller that ended 2-2. Klopp’s men trailed Spurs after just the 13th minute, but managed to get an equalizer just before half-time. After trading goals in the second half the Reds can count themselves lucky for hanging onto the draw as a red card in the final quarter of the match saw them forced to defend with just 10 men for over 10 minutes. In the end Klopp would be happy that they left London with a point given the red card and his side remains in second place on the table with 41 points. Sunday’s draw ended Liverpool’s six match winning streak, but the important thing is that they were still able to pick up a point that has kept them within reach of league-leaders Manchester City. As long as they can bounce back from their unexpected draw against Spurs when they take on Leeds it should not impact their campaign as a whole, but it’s vital that they don’t give up any more points on Sunday as they will be starting off the new year with a few tough fixtures including Leicester and Chelsea.

As of late things have not been easy for Leeds and to say that last week was a week that they would like to forget would be a bit of an understatement. It all started with their midweek clash at the Etihad which saw them letting in seven goals against the Sky Blues and suffering their biggest ever defeat in the EPL. With spirits already low after being thrashed things didn’t get much better for the Whites at the weekend when they lost 4-1 to Arsenal at Elland Road. With his side tumbling down to 16th spot on the EPL table and flirting with the relegation zone, pressure is mounting on Marcelo Bielsa. His side is now without a win in four clashes and it’s certainly not going to be getting any easier on Sunday against the second best team in the league. With their last three clashes taking place against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal the schedule certainly has not been kind to Leeds. However, with a record of three wins, seven draws and eight losses throughout the season it’s clear that there were problems present in the team even before they took on the big names. Leeds now have the second worst defense in the league with an average of two goals conceded per match. This certainly doesn’t hold well for their clash against Liverpool who are the top-scoring team in the league and averaging nearly three goals per match. 

In the last three meetings between the two teams since Leeds rejoined the EPL Liverpool have come out as winners on two occasions, while the other match ended in a draw. The last time the sides met was just over three months ago at Elland Road where Liverpool won 3-0, while the last clash at Anfield in September last year saw seven goals and Liverpool winning 4-3. Anfield has proven to be quite the fortress for the Reds and they are now undefeated in their last 23 home matches across all leagues and have not lost there all season.

Prediction

It’s been a pretty tough month for Leeds and unfortunately for their fans it’s going to end off on another tough note. Liverpool’s winning streak may have ended, but I don’t see them having another off day on Sunday. I expect Klopp’s men to bounce right back and pick up maximum points in this clash. Right now they are averaging nearly three goals per match, while Leeds are letting in at least two goals per match. Add in the fact that they haven’t lost at Anfield all season then it becomes very possible that Liverpool could give Leeds another hiding to end off the year. Despite Leeds’ poor recent results they have been able to find the net in seven of their last 10 matches. They did also manage to nearly hold Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, but since then it’s been two painful defeats and I don’t see them being able to keep a close match at Anfield. Both teams to score and Liverpool to win looks to be the best bet for me at just over even money, while I also like Liverpool to win and over 3.5 goals in the match which is available at around 1.70. For goalscorers there isn’t much value backing any of the Liverpool players as anytime goalscorers so I will instead go for Diogo Jota to score the first goal of the match since he has opened the scoring for the Reds in their last two EPL matches.

BetOlimp Best Bets

Victory and Both to Score: yes and Liverpool - 2.13
Total Goals/Result: Liverpool and total 3.5 over – 1.70
First Goalscorer: Diogo Jota – 4.00

 
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