Liverpool vs Chelsea prediction: Carabao Cup betting tips and best odds
Liverpool vs Chelsea betting tips:
BTTS and Liverpool to win - 23/10 Betway
Koumas to score at any time - 19/10 Ladbrokes
Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield tonight when he takes his Chelsea side up north for a Carabao Cup last-16 clash (kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports).
The Spaniard spent five years playing for Liverpool, winning the Champions League back in 2005, but tonight is all about his side bouncing back from their shock defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat was only Spurs’ second win at Stamford Bridge in 36 years, and maybe more worrying for Alonso was the form of goalkeeper Mike Penders, who struggled on his first Premier League start.
The youngster replaced the injured Emi Martinez and punched the ball into his own net to give the visitors the lead in the 77th minute.
Cole Palmer, who seemed to let his frustration boil over, then saw red for two yellow cards, and Mathys Tel made sure of the win with his first goal of the season.
That defeat was their third of the season and saw them slip to fifth in the Premier League table, replaced in the top four by Liverpool following their impressive 2-0 win over Brighton.
The Blues have so far beaten Luton Town and Leeds United to set up this tie, while Andoni Iraola’s side have played just once due to their involvement in European competition.
They beat Spurs 3-1 at Anfield and will be looking to keep alive their hopes of winning the competition for a record 11th time, and football betting sites have them as the second favourites to lift the trophy in March, just behind Manchester City, at odds of 3/1.
The competition has certainly opened up following League Two Fleetwood Town’s shock win over Premier League champions Arsenal, and this competition could give Chelsea the chance to claim their first domestic silverware since 2018.
They have won this competition five times but were beaten in both the 2022 and 2024 finals by tonight’s opponents.
Liverpool vs Chelsea tips: Reds to shade it
This will be the 11th meeting between the two sides in this competition, and the last two of those came in the finals mentioned.
Neither could be described as a classic encounter, though, with the Reds winning the first 11-10 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes at Wembley.
The 2024 final looked to be heading in the same direction until Virgil van Dijk scored the only goal of the game after 118 minutes, so hopefully tonight’s meeting will be more entertaining.
In the league, both teams have scored in their last six meetings, and you have to go back to 2021 since Chelsea last won at Anfield, when Mason Mount scored the only goal of the game just before the break.
They also won their last meeting on Merseyside in this competition back in 2018 when goals by Emerson and Eden Hazard cancelled out Daniel Sturridge’s opener.
We expect a lot of changes to the starting lineups for this one, especially with Liverpool facing Arsenal in the league this weekend before travelling to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce next Wednesday, but they showed with the side they named against Spurs how seriously they are taking the competition.
Betting sites have them as the favourites at 6/5, while you can get 21/10 on the Blues winning in 90 minutes. With no extra time in the event of a draw, you can get 6/1 on either side going through via penalties.
I think it’ll be wrapped up within normal time though, with home advantage to see the Reds through in an entertaining encounter.
Liverpool vs Chelsea prediction 1: BTTS and Liverpool to win - 23/10 Betway
Liverpool betting tips: Koumas to get his rewards
Alexander Isak has been in excellent form for Liverpool this season, showing the type of potency that earned him the big money move from Newcastle, but he is unlikely to be risked from the start with such big games on the horizon,
His starting place will most likely go to the Welsh international Lewis Koumas, who has had something of a baptism of fire this season, with his first starts of the season coming against Spurs in this competition, Manchester City in the Premier League and LASK Linz away in the Champions League.
He has led the line well and shown a real maturity, despite being just 21 and having made just five starts for Liverpool.
Koumas has just one goal so far, in that 6-3 win over LASK, but he has scored in this competition before, netting the third goal in a 5-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough, while on loan at Stoke City.
Betting apps have him at 19/10 to score at any time, or you can get 13/2 on him opening the scoring at Anfield. I prefer the former.
Liverpool vs Chelsea prediction 2: Koumas to score at any time - 19/10 Ladbrokes
Liverpool vs Chelsea team news:
Liverpool: Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz are both doubtful for Liverpool, but Florian Wirtz could be available despite limping off against Brighton.
Chelsea: Palmer will be missing for Chelsea after his red card against Spurs, while striker Joao Pedro has been ruled out for “a few weeks” with a thigh problem.
Liverpool vs Chelsea predicted lineups:
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Araujo, Jacquet, Gomez, Kerkez; Nyoni, Mac Allister; Ngumoha, McConnell, Gakpo; Koumas
Chelsea: Penders; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Palestra; Caicedo, Lavia, Barco; Estevao, Welbeck, Rogers
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