Liverpool vs LASK Linz

High-flying Liverpool will be looking to cement progression to the Europa League knockouts when they take on LASK Linz at Anfield.

Liverpool surrendered a 100% winning start to their Europa League campaign last time out, slumping to an action-packed 3-2 defeat at Toulouse. Despite going down in France, the ‘Reds’ are on the verge of making it out of Group E as they harbor a five-point lead over third-placed Royale Union SG going into the last two rounds. Fatigue could be a problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side following an exhausting 1-1 against Manchester City in last weekend’s Premier League top-table six-pointer. However, the Merseyside giants have gone from strength to strength at Anfield this season, winning all nine competitive home matches, not to mention netting 3+ goals on seven occasions. Considering their scoring prowess, it’s barely surprising they’ve avoided defeat in eight out of ten matches in which they’ve conceded first this term (W5, D3, L2).

On the other hand, visiting LASK give the impression of being a side capable of worsening Liverpool’s formidable all-time record against Austrian clubs (W7, D1, L1). Coming into this encounter, they’ve racked up four wins in five games across all competitions (L1), including a thumping 3-0 victory against Royale Union SG in the previous Europa League round. That result helped LASK bounce back from a disastrous three-game losing start to their Group E journey and increase their chances of switching over to the Europa Conference League knockouts. With a point separating them from the third-placed Belgian outfit, the visitors will be out to avenge a 3-1 defeat from the reverse fixture, which saw them lead at halftime.