Liverpool vs Leicester Prediction and Preview – 26/12/15

Premier League preview – Liverpool vs Leicester prediction

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is waiting on medical reports for Martin Skrtel, Simon Mignolet, Daniel Sturridge and Dejan Lovren with Sturridge and Lovren considered the most unlikely to pass the pre-match fitness tests. James Milner pulled out of Sunday’s squad with a calf injury and also looks likely to miss out on Boxing Day. Jon Flanagan, Jordan Rossiter, Danny Ings and Joe Gomez are the road to recovery from their respective injury woes.

Robert Huth is expected to return to centre defence after serving his suspension. There are concerns over the participation of Leicester hitman Jamie Vardy. The 15-goal striker was feeling his hamstring after the victory at Everton on Saturday and will undergo a fitness test prior to the Boxing Day fixture. Danny Drinkwater is hopeful of being fit to face Liverpool, the midfielder missed the last game after coming off early against Chelsea with a hamstring problem. Jeff Schlupp and Matthew James are sidelined with longer term problems.

Possible Line-ups

Liverpool: 4-3-3 formation: Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno; Can, Lucas, Henderson; Ibe, Firmino, Coutinho

Leicester: 4-4-2 formation: Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Albrighton, Kante, Drinkwater, Mahrez; Vardy, Okazaki

Statistics

• Liverpool have won 5 drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 10 matches
• Leicester have won 7, drawn 3 and lost 0 of their last 10 matches
• Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Liverpool have scored an average of 1.7 goals and conceded an average of 1.2 goals per game
• Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Leicester have scored an average of 2.1 goals and conceded an average of 1 goal per game
• There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 6 of Liverpool’s previous 10 matches
• There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 7 of Leicester’s previous 10 matches

Prediction

Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at Watford on Sunday means the Reds have gone four games without a win. They found the net in only one of those matches, the 2-2 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion when Divock Origi’s 90th minute strike scraped his side a point. Liverpool have won three of eight home games in the league this season, all against teams involved in the relegation struggle; Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Swansea. West Ham and Crystal Palace are the highest placed teams to visit Anfield so far and both left with maximum points.

Leicester’s fairytale run shows no signs of ending soon. The Foxes have only been beaten once on the league this season, when losing at home to Arsenal way back in September. They have won eight of ten subsequent league games which includes five wins on the road. This will be the Foxes’ biggest test away from home since beating West Ham at Upton Park in August but the Anfield crowd know all about Leicester’s fighting spirit having watched them come from two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw in this fixture last season.

Liverpool’s season is in the balance and they look short of Leicester’s standards of skill and team spirit. On current form the Reds will do well to earn a point.

Tips

Double Chance Leicester-Draw at 19/20 with Coral

Draw at 29/10 with BetVictor

Correct Score 1-1 at 8/1 with BetVictor

What are your predictions?

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