Preview:Liverpool vs Southampton - prediction, team news, lineups

Liverpool will begin their quest for an 11th EFL Cup when they welcome Championship opponents Southampton to Anfield on Tuesday.

The Reds are first in the top flight with a 15 points from a possible 15, while the Saints are 19th in the Championship with six points from six league fixtures.

Match preview

The Merseysiders defeated local rivals Everton 2-1 on Saturday afternoon, but while they performed excellently in the first half, the team struggled to cope with the Toffees' intensity in the second half.

Arne Slot noted that his players were experiencing fatigue having played in the Champions League last Wednesday, when they beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 at Anfield.

The Reds have been productive in the final third, scoring 14 goals in six matches in 2025-26, and they have also found the back of the net in each of their last 39 Premier League games.

However, supporters will be concerned by the fact the hosts have conceded two goals in a match three times, throwing away 2-0 leads against Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid before ultimately scoring late winners.

Despite some problems at the back, Liverpool have triumphed in every one of their outings this campaign, as well as winning all four of their games at Anfield.

The Reds claimed the EFL Cup in 2023-24, and they reached the 2024-25 final before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in March.

The Saints have begun the Championship season under boss Will Still poorly, with the head coach overseeing a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hull City on Saturday.

Southampton are only four points behind sixth-placed Coventry City, who occupy the final Championship promotion playoff spot, but they face difficult tests against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United in their next two league fixtures.

The visitors were beaten twice by Liverpool in the Premier League in 2024-25, and a loss on Tuesday would be their fifth consecutive defeat against the Reds.

Still's side head to Anfield having failed to win in five of their six most recent games - they lost twice and conceded eight times - and they have drawn two and won just one of their past four outings on the road.

Southampton reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup last term, and they also advanced into the semi-finals of the competition in 2022-23.

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Southampton EFL Cup form:

Southampton form (all competitions):

Team News

Slot has confirmed that Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will miss Tuesday's match as they have started every game so far and need to recover.

Teenager Trey Nyoni is highly regarded at Liverpool, and he is a candidate to play in a double pivot alongside Wataru Endo, while Federico Chiesa could play on the right side of attack.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start between the posts, and he may be shielded by centre-backs Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni.

Southampton will almost certainly utilise a back three in order to try to protect their penalty area, with central defenders Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Wood and Jack Stephens likely inclusions at Anfield.

Midfielder Flynn Downes did not play against Hull due to illness, but he may benefit from featuring against Liverpool in order to regain match sharpness.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Leoni, Gomez, Robertson; Nyoni, Endo; Ngumoha, Jones, Chiesa; Isak

Southampton possible starting lineup:

McCarthy; Edwards, Wood, Stephens; Roerslev, Fraser, Downes, Charles, Manning; Stewart, Archer

We say: Liverpool 3-1 Southampton

Southampton could look to take advantage of Liverpool's backline, especially as regulars like Van Dijk will be missing on Tuesday.

However, the depth and quality of the hosts' squad should be enough to get them over the line, and it would not be surprising if they won their seventh game of the season.

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