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Premier League

Liverpool entertainers need to put on a good show

Friendly managers set for end-to-end encounter

David Wagner (right) is aiming to get one over his friend Jurgen Klopp
David Wagner (right) is aiming to get one over his friend Jurgen KloppCredit: Nigel Roddis

Premier League
BT Sport 1, 8pm Tuesday

Old chums David Wagner and Jurgen Klopp will put their friendship to one side at the John Smith’s Stadium and punters must decide which German to buddy up to in a massive match for Huddersfield and Liverpool.

There will be no love lost when Wagner’s Huddersfield, desperate to stop their freefall towards the Premier League's bottom three, and Klopp’s Liverpool, smarting after back-to-back defeats, cross swords in a game with huge implications.

Favourite backers might just be forgiven for deciding that enough is enough with Liverpool, who followed up their sensational 4-3 triumph over Manchester City with dismal defeats to Swansea and West Brom.

In the light of those results, there’s no way on earth the Merseysiders are any sort of value at cramped odds.

But Town are without a win in six league games and have managed to bag only 11 goals in 12 league games in front of their own fans.

However, if there’s hope of addressing that issue it surely comes with the sight of Liverpool, a team who will create chances and score goals but tend to offer up a few gifts of their own courtesy of a defensive strategy which Klopp has yet to sort out.

The upshot? A bet on over 2.5 with both teams scoring might just be a risk worth taking.

Liverpool score goals and are the division’s top scorers on the road.

Even in a pitiful defeat by West Brom in the FA Cup they created chances, taking two of them, and Huddersfield have conceded ten goals with no clean sheets in their four previous home assignments against big-six opponents.

Liverpool’s matches average 3.5 goals per game and they should be as positive from the off as they always are, maybe more so given the criticism ringing in their ears.

Eighteen of their last 22 matches have produced three or more goals and they have scored a staggering 37 times in their last 13 away days in all competitions.


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But they also leak goals with 29 conceded in the league – just two fewer than West Brom, who are second-bottom.

Virgil van Dijk was signed for silly money to make them stronger and they’ve not kept a clean sheet – or looked like keeping one – in the three matches he’s started.

Liverpool have kept only two clean sheets in 12 league away games, a terrible statistic for a side who harbour hopes of being best of the rest behind Manchester City.

They thrashed Huddersfield 3-0 at home and have that sort of performance in their locker, but a small-stakes punt on the hosts would definitely be more preferable than chunking on the visitors.

Huddersfield have a win or two in them – they beat Manchester United 2-1 at home and gave City a game, going down 2-1- but the goals bet makes more sense.

Recommendation
Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
1pt 31-20 BoyleSports

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com


Team news
Huddersfield
Terence Kongolo is a doubt and forward Elias Kachunga is out.

Liverpool
Adam Lallana has joined Nathaniel Clyne on the injured list while defender Ragnar Klavan is a doubt.

Key stat
Liverpool are the Premier League’s highest away scorers with 29 goals.


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Steve DaviesRacing Post Sport

Published on 29 January 2018inPremier League

Last updated 20:18, 29 January 2018

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