Genk v Liverpool: free football tips, best bets, predictions & where to watch

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

Where to watch

BT Sport 2, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Liverpool-Liverpool double result
1pt 20-23 Coral
Back this tip with Coral here

Team news

Genk
First-choice keeper Danny Vukovic is a long-term absentee and Neto Borges is injured.

Liverpool
Mohamed Salah has returned to training but Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri and Trent Alexander-Arnold missed the final practice session.

Match preview

Genk have played more Champions League matches without winning than any other side and they are unlikely to break their duck at the 15th time of asking when Liverpool visit Belgium.

The Belgian champions restored some pride with a 0-0 draw against Napoli on matchday two following the 6-2 hammering delivered by Salzburg in their European opener, but the Italians passed up a number of glorious opportunities to claim maximum points.

Liverpool are unlikely to be so forgiving, particularly as they find themselves in a tricky qualification spot after losing to Napoli on matchday one and they can dominate from the first whistle.

Napoli had 63 per cent possession, hit the woodwork three times and created six big opportunities, according to the statistics, only to miss the lot. Arek Milik was the striker most found wanting.

Genk coach Felice Mazzu said: "If we play with the conviction that we showed against Napoli, I believe we can do something. Although I fear that Liverpool are even better. Their attackers in particular are so dangerous."

Mazzu is right that Liverpool are better and more prolific in the final third. However, he is wrong to believe the Belgians played so convincingly against Napoli. It was just that Napoli missed chances they would normally expect to put away.

Genk have gone backwards from last season's championship-winning campaign and it was always likely, with coach Philippe Clement taking over at Club Brugge and influential players following him to richer clubs elsewhere.

Leandro Trossard scored 14 goals before signing for Brighton and 13-goal midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi now plays for Atalanta, departures which left a huge void to fill.

They have 12 points fewer domestically than they did at this stage last year and come into this contest on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Standard Liege on Saturday.

Genk have scored in 30 of their last 32 European matches and Manchester United fan Aly Samatta is a threat. But the Tanzania talent is coming up in grade taking on the might of Virgil van Dijk and is without a league goal since August 23.

Liverpool were frustrated by Sunday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and twere below par, yet 25 points from nine Premier League matches is a superb return from the league leaders.

Jurgen Klopp may decide to rotate a couple of players seeing as they take on Tottenham in a repeat of last season's Champions League final at Anfield on Sunday. The Premier League is their priority but the holders should still land a comfortable victory.

Key stat

Liverpool have lost six of their last ten group-stage away matches in the Champions League, but their one victory was a 7-0 thrashing of Maribor.

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