Liverpool – form, tactics, and expectations
Nearly a month after Lucas Bergvall secured a narrow win for Tottenham in the first leg of this semifinal, Liverpool will try to overturn the result at Anfield and secure their 15th League Cup final appearance. The first match was marked by controversies, especially the fact that Bergvall did not receive a second yellow card for a rough tackle on Kostas Tsimikas. However, despite that, Liverpool did not look convincing enough and were below their usual level in London.
Nevertheless, few doubt that the “Reds” will perform much better in this second leg. Their home record is impressive – since September, they have been unbeaten in 15 consecutive matches at Anfield, scoring at least two goals in every match, with 13 victories.
The recent 2-0 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League further lifted the team’s morale, especially since Mohamed Salah was again the key man with two goals. This result ensured Liverpool stayed at the top of the table with a six-point lead over the competition, and they also secured first place in the group stage of the Champions League.
Manager Arne Slot knows how crucial the next three matches are for the club’s ambitions. After this semifinal, Liverpool will travel to Plymouth for the FA Cup, followed by a city derby against Everton. Moreover, Slot and his players aim to defend the League Cup they won last year under Jurgen Klopp.
As for the lineup, Liverpool has a few injury concerns. Trent Alexander-Arnold got injured against Bournemouth and will almost certainly not play, but good news is the return of Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones. At left-back, there will be a battle between Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, while in midfield, alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jones will compete.
Tottenham Hotspur – form, tactics, and expectations
For Tottenham, this is perhaps their best opportunity in recent years to win a trophy. After securing a win in the first match, Spurs now head to Anfield with a slight advantage, although they are aware of the difficult task ahead.
Ange Postecoglou has promised a fight for trophies since arriving at the club, and reaching the League Cup final would be the first step towards fulfilling that goal. The situation is further in their favor as they would play Newcastle in the final, rather than the dominant Manchester City, who defeated them in the 2021 final.
However, history is not on Spurs’ side – in the last two League Cup semifinals they played, they were eliminated both times by Chelsea. Even worse for them, they haven’t won at Anfield since 2011, and since then, they have only drawn three times in 14 matches at this stadium.
Still, the team’s form in recent matches hasn’t been bad. The recent 2-0 win over Brentford helped them climb from 16th to 14th place in the Premier League, and before that, they secured a spot in the Europa League round of 16 with a routine win over Elfsborg. Interestingly, in that match, three young players scored goals, which shows depth in the squad.
Defense remains the biggest problem for Spurs, but the last four matches without conceding a goal have somewhat mitigated the criticism of Postecoglou’s defensive system. However, it should be noted that two of those matches were against weaker opponents like Elfsborg and Tamworth, while against Everton and Leicester, they showed signs of vulnerability.
As for the lineup, Tottenham has serious injury problems. Radu Drăgușin has finished the season due to a knee injury, and Mik van de Ven will likely miss this match. His absence means that Ben Davies and Archie Gray will probably form the center-back partnership. In addition, several key players are nearing a return – Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, and Timo Werner could all be back soon, but they will not play against Liverpool.
Betting Suggestions
Liverpool enters this second leg with a clear goal – to overturn the result and reach the final. Given their excellent record at home and the fact that they have scored at least two goals in each of their last 15 matches at Anfield, a home victory seems like a realistic outcome.
Tottenham will try to defend and wait for chances from counter-attacks, but given their defensive weaknesses and the absence of key players, it’s hard to expect them to withstand the full 90 minutes without conceding a goal.
📌 Betting Suggestions:
✔ Liverpool win & 2+ goals in the match
✔ Mohamed Salah to score
✔ Liverpool half-time/full-time (1/1)
✔ Total goals over 2.5+
All analyses indicate that Liverpool will dominate and play for more goals, while Tottenham remains in a position to defend and look for chances from transitions.
