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Liverpool vs Tottenham: Preview, where to watch and more for the EFL Cup semi-final

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Liverpool vs Tottenham: Preview, where to watch and more for the EFL Cup semi-final
Liverpool vs Tottenham: Preview, where to watch and more for the EFL Cup semi-final

New Delhi: After Newcastle’s heroics last night in the other semi-final, Liverpool will look to overturn a one-goal deficit when they host Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield on Thursday night. Spurs claimed a narrow 1-0 victory in the first leg thanks to Lucas Bergvall’s goal, putting them in pole position to potentially win their first major trophy since 2008.

Meanwhile, defending champions Liverpool must find a way past Ange Postecoglou’s side to keep their hopes of retaining the trophy alive. The Reds need to win by at least two goals to advance in regulation time, while a one-goal victory will send the match into extra time. Spurs, on the other hand, only need to avoid defeat to book their place at Wembley. Both teams enter this crucial clash following 2-0 victories in the Premier League over the weekend.

Liverpool defeated Bournemouth away to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the table, while Spurs ended a seven-game winless run in the league by beating Brentford. Arne Slot’s side has been in excellent form at Anfield this season and will be confident about their chances of overturning the deficit. The Reds have won five of their last six home meetings with Tottenham, scoring four goals in each of the last two encounters.

Their attacking firepower, led by Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Luis Diaz, makes them a dangerous opponent in front of their home crowd. Liverpool’s Carabao Cup campaign has been strong so far, and as the reigning champions, they will be determined to reach another final. They head into the game one goal behind via a late strike in the previous leg but will be confident about overturning the deficit at home, given the form Slot’s men are in currently.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have been struggling with inconsistency throughout the season, with the possibility of a first trophy since 2008 being the thin thread Ange Postecoglou is hanging by. Their first-leg victory gave them an important advantage but injuries have severely hampered their squad depth. Their priority in this game will be to remain disciplined at the back while looking for opportunities to hit Liverpool on the break.

The London based side figuratively have one foot in the final after winning the home leg and reaching the final would be a significant achievement for the club. However, their record at Anfield is worrying, and they will need to deliver a near-perfect performance to progress. The Reds hold the advantage in their last five meetings, having won three of the games between the two sides but Spurs would be hoping to produce another upset in the second leg.

Team News

A big blow to Liverpool was delivered earlier in the week as it was announced the club will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, who suffered a leg injury in the weekend win over Bournemouth. Conor Bradley is expected to step in at right-back. However, no other major injury concerns have popped up for the club, with Joe Gomez potentially returning to the squad after a long absence. Darwin Nunez, who was sidelined due to illness, made his comeback against Bournemouth, while Diogo Jota was named on the bench after recovering from his latest injury setback.

Both players could play a key role in this match. In stark contrast to their opponents, Tottenham are dealing with an extensive injury list and have been doing so all season. Radu Dragusin became the latest to join the list as he has suffered an ACL tear and will miss the remainder of the season. He joins Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie on the sidelines, leaving Spurs short of defensive options.

First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is also unavailable, meaning January signing Antonin Kinsky is likely to continue in goal. Ange confirmed that new signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are available and could make their debuts in this game, offering some more excitement to the fans. While Tel could have to make his debut from the bench, Spurs defensive issues might see Danso handed his debut from the start.

Meanwhile, Micky van de Ven is fit but is being eased back into action, making his involvement uncertain. In attack, Spurs will be without James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, and Timo Werner, further limiting their attacking options while former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is also unavailable due to a knee injury, which sees him miss an extended period of time.

Predicted XI

Liverpool: Alisson; Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Konstantinos Tsimikas; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mo Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Luiz Diaz.

Tottenham: Antonin Kinsky; Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Djed Spence; Pepe Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma; Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son Heung-min.

When and where to watch the EFL Cup semi-final of Liverpool vs Tottenham in India?

Liverpool host Tottenham in the EFL Cup semi-final on February 7th at Anfield at 1:30 AM IST. Fans can catch the match live streaming on the FanCode app and website in India. No television broadcasting rights are available for the EFL Cup in India, making it a streaming only game for fans of the teams.

Match Prediction

Liverpool’s incredible home record this season, combined with their dominant history against Spurs at Anfield, makes them the favorites to win this tie. The Reds have been in strong form, and with their attacking options available, they will look to press Tottenham from the start. Spurs may have won the first leg, but their injury problems and inconsistent performances make them vulnerable. A possible makeshift defense of new signing Kevin Danso and left back turned center back Ben Davis could be exploited by Liverpool’s potent front three.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham

 Liverpool host Tottenham in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi final clash as they look to reach their third League cup final in four years, but will have to be on top form to overturn their one goal deficit.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today

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