Champions League: Liverpool v Genk betting preview, free tips & where to watch

Football tips, best bets and predictions for Liverpool v Genk in the Champions League.

Where to watch

Live on BT Sport 3, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Liverpool to win & over 4.5 goals
1pt 8-5 Betway, Paddy Power
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Team news

Liverpool
Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri and Nathaniel Clyne are sidelined and
Jurgen Klopp is likely to rotate his squad with Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester City in mind.

Genk
Danny Vuckovic (Achilles) is still out so Gaetan Coucke will deputise in goal. Jere Uronen (ankle) is sidelined but leading scorer Mbwana Samatta should start after being rested at the weekend.

Match preview

Two Liverpool fans missed the Reds’ last Champions League game after travelling to Gent instead of Genk and a similar navigational error might be the Belgian side’s best chance of avoiding a drubbing in the reverse fixture at Anfield.

Genk, beaten 4-1 at home by the European champions, are as big as 40-1 for victory even though Liverpool must deal with the significant distraction of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with title rivals Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp, who is already grumbling about fixture congestion, will surely rotate his squad for this game and that may be good news for neutrals if last week’s EFL Cup thriller against Arsenal is anything to go.

A much-changed Liverpool side won on penalties after Divock Origi’s last-gasp goal earned the Reds a remarkable 5-5 draw in 90 minutes.

There was more late drama for Liverpool at Villa Park on Saturday when they scored in the 87th and 94th minutes to claim a 2-1 victory.

Given that the Citizens had just sealed their own comeback at home to Southampton, Sadio Mane’s winner was a crucial moment for the Reds, who go into Sunday’s game with a six-point lead over the league champions.

The 1-10 shots are expected to have a more relaxing evening in the Champions League against a Genk side who were walloped 6-2 by Salzburg in their first Group E away game.

That mauling, coupled with the 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool in which they had just 25 per cent of the ball, suggests the Belgians should brace themselves for another heavy defeat at Anfield.

Genk held a subdued Napoli side to a goalless draw at home in their second group game but their domestic form this season has been patchy, especially away from home.

A 2-0 weekend defeat to lowly Eupen left them eighth in the table and they have taken just two points from a possible 18 against teams above them in the Belgian top flight.

With first-choice goalkeeper Danny Vuckovic injured, 20-year-old cat Gaetan Coucke will be in the firing line at Anfield, where Liverpool beat Salzburg 4-3, having been pegged back from 3-0 up to 3-3.

At this stage of last season Liverpool, with Alisson in goal and Virgil van Dijk imperious in central defence, were churning out the clean sheets at home but it has been a different story this term.

The Salzburg and Arsenal results were spectacular examples of the open nature of their cup games at Anfield and both teams have scored in all five of the Reds’ home league matches too.

Liverpool still won all five of those fixtures so the odds on a home victory and over 4.5 goals make some appeal in what should be a one-sided contest.

The bet keeps a wide-margin Liverpool win to nil onside while Genk, who scored twice in Salzburg and managed a late consolation goal in the reverse fixture, could also get on the scoreboard.