Liverpool vs Southampton prediction, best bets & team news: Isak can open Reds account

Liverpool start their League Cup campaign on Tuesday with a tie against Championship side Southampton at Anfield (8pm, ITV1 and Sky Sports Main Event).

Will Still’s Saints have struggled to adapt to life back in the EFL following their relegation from the Premier League in May, with just one win from their opening six league games. However, they’ve fared better in the cup, successfully navigating the opening two rounds of this competition.

They have seen off League One side Northampton and fellow Championship side Norwich to set up the tie against the team betting sites have priced up as the favourites to lift the trophy in March.

The Reds were beaten finalists in the EFL Cup last season, losing 2-1 to Newcastle United at Wembley as the Magpies ended their 56-year wait for a trophy.

It was their 15th appearance in the final of a competition they have won a record 10 times, and with the strength in depth they have in their squad, you would expect Arne Slot to name a strong lineup tonight.

Slot’s side have a 100% record from their six games so far, with five wins in the Premier League and another in their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, but it’s fair to say they have not been at their best - yet!

They have conceded twice in three games and have scored four goals in added time, so the Saints will need to be at their best for however many minutes they play.

Southampton have lost eight of their last nine matches against tonight’s opposition since a 1-0 win in January 2021, when Danny Ings scored the only goal of the game after just two minutes.

Since then, other than a 4-4 draw in 2023, they have had very little to shout about; in fact, they lost three times to Liverpool last season, including in the quarter-finals of this competition.

Goals from the departed duo of Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead at St Mary’s before Cameron Archer pulled a goal back, but it was nothing more than a consolation in the end.

Arne Slot’s side scored three goals in each of the two league meetings last season, winning 3-2 on the south coast before backing it up with a 3-1 home win in March, with Mo Salah scoring a brace in each.

You have to go back to 2017 for the last time Southampton won at Anfield, and it came in this competition, at the semi-final stage.

The Saints won the first leg at home 1-0, thanks to a goal from Nathan Redmond. They then repeated the scoreline at Anfield, with Shane Long scoring in added time, setting up a final against Manchester United, which they went on to lose 3-2.

Football betting sites aren’t holding out much hope of a cup shock this time round, which is understandable given the contrasting starts to the season both sides have enjoyed. The football odds for a Reds win are very short, so punters will need to get creative to boost the price, with a big home win one option.

Liverpool vs Southampton prediction 1: Liverpool to win by three goals - 4/1 Bet365

Liverpool boss Slot has already confirmed he will be rotating his squad, as they did last season, but this game could be another step in Alexander Isak’s journey to full fitness, which won’t please the Saints defenders

The Swedish striker started in the Champions League last week but is still looking for his first goal since his record £125m protracted move from Newcastle.

Isak enjoyed this competition last season, scoring three goals, including Newcastle’s second in the final against Liverpool as they went on to lift the trophy.

He also scored twice against Southampton in the Premier League, with one from the penalty spot as Newcastle ran out 3-1 winners at St Mary’s.

In total, he has two goals and four assists in just five matches against Southampton, and we expect him to be in the thick of things again tonight.

Liverpool vs Southampton prediction 2: Isak to score two or more - 11/4 Betfred

Liverpool: Slot will make several changes from the side that beat Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, and we could see debuts for summer signings Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili. He has already revealed that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai won’t be involved.

Southampton: The Saints are also set to make changes with Still making eight changes in the first round at Northampton and nine changes in the second round at Norwich, but they have no new injury worries.

Bettors looking to bet on Liverpool vs Southampton in the EFL Cup tonight can take advantage of Betfred's midweek football offer and grab a £5 free bet.

Opt in and place an in-play bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any EFL Cup or Europa League game on 23–24 September.

Qualifying customers will receive £5 in free bets by 17:45 on Thursday.

The free bet must be used in-play on Thursday’s Europa League fixtures.

Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you’re using the best betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, bingo sites or any other gambling platform.

Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.

Try not to get carried away by free bets or casino bonuses, which are widely available on gambling apps.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.