Liverpool return to Premier League action this evening as they visit Elland Road to take on a struggling Leeds United side who are fighting to stay in the division.
Ordinarily, this match would be a routine victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side, however after the transitional period the club have undergone this term, three points certainly isn’t guaranteed. The Reds haven’t won since the beginning of March and with the European ambitions slipping away with every passing week, Klopp urgently requires three points this evening.
The Anfield faithful will be buoyed by the news that Thiago could be set to start tonight whereas Luiz Diaz is back in the matchday squad and these two options could certainly reinvigorate the side ahead of a crucial few weeks ahead.
Football FanCast have predicted the Liverpool starting XI that will take to the pitch tonight as they look to build on their solid performance against Arsenal last week.
What could Liverpool’s starting XI look like against Leeds United?
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Alisson will of course start in goal and will be looking at keeping his 12th clean sheet of the Premier League season.
The back four will remain unchanged from the 2-2 draw against the Gunners eight days ago. Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will be looked upon to pose a threat down the flanks, while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will form a partnership at the heart of the defence.
Klopp will make one change across his midfield three, with Thiago coming into the starting XI in place of Curtis Jones, who was poor against Arsenal, registering a rating of just 6.2/10 via Sofascore, winning only three duels and losing possession a concerning 13 times.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will make up the rest of the midfield and Klopp will hope they can dictate the play throughout the game, with Thiago’s influence crucial in his game plan.
Diogo Jota hasn’t scored for Liverpool in over a year and having failed to register a shot on target last week, he will likely be dropped to the bench.
Darwin Nunez will come back into the starting XI and the £140k-per-week forward will be looking to score his first goal in over a month. He was dubbed the “agent of chaos” by journalist Theo Squires prior to the Real Madrid tie in February, and he could cause havoc to the Leeds defence.
Mohammed Salah will be deployed on the right wing while Cody Gakpo will retain his place spearheading the attack.
Klopp could deploy an extremely strong line-up tonight, the question is, will they deliver and secure three vital points? Only time will tell.