[2:45 PM] Liverpool @ Middlesbrough

What will be the match result?

Liverpool: Win

@ Middlesbrough: Win or Draw

 

Recent Results:

Liverpool: 2-2-1

Middlesbrough: 1-2-2

 

• Emre Can missed Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Ham at the weekend after picking up a minor knee injury in training and the midfielder remains a doubt here. Philippe Coutinho isn’t expected back until the end of the month, while Danny Ings is out for the season. Daniel Sturridge could be sidelined for the fifth game in a row.

• Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez both missed Middlesbrough’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton at the weekend and Aitor Karanka has revealed Ramirez is definitely out, while Negredo will require a late test. Karanka has tended to set up his team in a 4-5-1 formation against the bigger teams and could revert to that system here, which could see Adama Traoré return after a two-game absence.

• Middlesbrough continue to prove a hard side to break down without proving too much of a threat themselves. Aitor Karanka’s side have only lost by more than a one-goal margin on one occasion all season. However, they have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League this season (13) and Karanka will need to change that for Boro to boost their chances of survival.

• Liverpool only managed to a somewhat surprising 2-2 draw with West Ham at the weekend and are now six points behind league leaders Chelsea. Their vulnerability at the back continues to undermine progress and Jurgen Klopp will need to address that.

• This is the first league meeting between the sides since 2009 when Boro triumphed 2-0 on home soil. In fact, Liverpool have a poor recent record at the Riverside Stadium. They haven’t won any of the last six matches and have failed to score in five of them! They were different times to this free scoring Liverpool side and it would take a monumental effort from Boro to keep Liverpool out for only the third time this season.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Liverpool: Win

Confidence: 5/10

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