Sports

Liverpool Aims to Extend Winning Streak on Austrian Adventure

Arne Slot’s Liverpool revolution shows no signs of slowing down, as the Reds passed a significant test of their Premier League title credentials on Sunday by defeating Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea. A precise penalty from Mohamed Salah and a scrappy goal from Curtis Jones were enough to secure victory, overshadowing Nicolas Jackson’s consolation strike. This win allows Liverpool to maintain their one-point lead over Manchester City at the Premier League summit, marking an impressive 10 wins from 11 matches under Slot.

European Successes

Liverpool has also made a strong start in Europe, winning their first two Champions League matches against Italian teams, including a 3-1 victory over AC Milan and a 2-0 win against Bologna. Despite some luck in these matches, where Bologna seemed off their game, the Reds are currently enjoying an eight-match winning streak across all competitions.

Upcoming Challenges

The challenges will increase as Liverpool prepares for a critical match against title rivals Arsenal on Sunday. However, the team is riding high in confidence, having won all five of their away games under Slot, keeping three clean sheets and conceding only two goals. Notably, Liverpool hasn’t lost to a German side away in the Champions League since the 2001-02 season.

RB Leipzig’s Struggles

Marco Rose’s RB Leipzig could benefit from some European inspiration, especially after suffering two defeats in their opening Champions League matches this season against Atletico Madrid and Juventus. While they managed to keep the matches close, they have struggled to secure points in the competition.

Recent domestic form has improved for Leipzig, with back-to-back Bundesliga victories against Mainz 05 and Heidenheim, both featuring clean sheets. However, they risk becoming the first team to lose three consecutive Champions League games while having scored the opening goal in each.

RB Leipzig Champions League Form

Recent: L, L

RB Leipzig Form (All Competitions)

Recent: L, D, W, L, W, W

Liverpool Champions League Form

Recent: W, W

Liverpool Form (All Competitions)

Recent: W, W, W, W, W, W

Team News

Liverpool’s victory over Chelsea came at a cost, with Diogo Jota forced off after just 30 minutes due to a challenge from Tosin Adarabioyo. Jota is unlikely to play against Leipzig, joining Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Harvey Elliott (foot) on the sidelines. Federico Chiesa is also a doubt, and right-back Conor Bradley was missing from the matchday squad for unspecified reasons.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold also a doubt, Joe Gomez may step into the right-back role if Slot opts to rest Alexander-Arnold ahead of the Arsenal match.

In contrast, Leipzig’s top scorer Lois Openda is expected to recover from a knock sustained in their recent win. Amadou Haidara is also fit to play, while Xaver Schlager, David Raum, Nicolas Seiwald, and Assan Ouedraogo remain out due to injuries.

Assuming Openda is fit, he will form a dangerous attacking trio with Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko, who has netted all three of Leipzig’s goals in the Champions League so far.

RB Leipzig Possible Starting Lineup

Gulacsi; Orban, Klostermann, Lukeba; Geertruida, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Simons; Sesko, Openda

Liverpool Possible Starting Lineup

Kelleher; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez

Prediction

We predict a tight encounter, with Leipzig showing defensive improvement since their match against Juventus. However, Liverpool’s attacking prowess presents a different challenge compared to Leipzig’s recent opponents, and the Reds are favored to extend their winning streak to 11 out of 12 under Slot.

Don’t be surprised if this match is decided late, as Leipzig has conceded a record 17 goals in the last 10 minutes of Champions League matches since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Final Prediction: RB Leipzig 1 – 2 Liverpool

anirudh