Fulham VS Liverpool Match Prediction
2019-03-17
14:15:00
Fulham
VS
Liverpool
Our Prediction Tip
Liverpool will win this match.
2019-03-1714:15:00 Liverpool will win this match.
Liverpool have now won their last five matches against Fulham to take them to 40 wins in total in this fixture. Fulham have won 12 and there have been 16 draws. The Reds scored 14 goals in four games as they beat Fulham in the latter’s final two seasons before relegation in 2014, while the match earlier this season ended in a 2-0 Liverpool win at Anfield – Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri scoring.
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Liverpool know nothing less than a win at struggling Fulham will realistically do as they bid to return to the top of the Premier League with Manchester City not in action.
But nothing less than a win at struggling Fulham is likely given the comparative form of the two teams and Liverpool’s in-form attack.
Sadio Mane is central to that – the Senegalese winger has hit a purple patch of goalscoring form, with two apiece against Watford, Burnley and Bayern Munich.
With Roberto Firmino also scoring twice against Burnley and Mo Salah keen to get back in the goals too, against a team he has already netted against this season, Liverpool could run riot.
Fulham have lost ten of the 11 matches they have played in 2019, and while they have scored equalisers against both Chelsea and Leicester in recent games, they have not managed to hold on to points in either.
Liverpool are tighter at the back too – despite conceding twice against Burnley – having kept five straight clean sheets before facing the Clarets.
The only thing that could help Fulham is if Liverpool are suffering a European hangover, after their exploits in Munich on Wednesday night.
Even then, however, there has been little evidence this season that Fulham possess the attacking prowess to take advantage of that.
Liverpool are 1/4 favourites almost across the board to beat Fulham on Sunday, with Bet365, Ladbrokes, Betfair, Betway, 10Bet and 888sport all offering that price.
It may be worth backing Liverpool to win to nil, however – as they did in the reverse fixture – and that improves the odds to 11/10 with Betfair and Paddy Power.
You can also bet against both teams to score at 9/10 with Betfair. Liverpool have hit seven goals in their last two games, however, and over 2.5 goals returns 1/2 with Betfair, Bet365 and Ladbrokes.
Given his goalscoring form, Sadio Mane is worth backing at 11/10 to score at any time with Bet365 and 10Bet. The Senegalese international is 9/2 with both to net first.
Liverpool can return to the top of the league with a win at struggling Fulham and it would be a huge surprise if they fail to do that.
Andre Schurrle is expected to be back in contention after a virus, but Alfie Mawson and Marcus Bettinelli remain long-term absentees due to knee injuries. Fulham went for a 4-3-3 last weekend, away to Leicester, with the three-at-the-back system now seemingly abandoned. Floyd Ayite could replace Ryan Sessegnon after scoring when he came on for the teenage winger at the King Power Stadium, should Schurrle not be fit.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Will look to exploit any tiredness in the Liverpool defence after their Munich exploits with his power and physicality up front.
Ryan Babel – Set to face his former team, having assisted Chambers’ goal in the defeat to Chelsea – he may feel he still has a point to prove to Liverpool.
Sergio Rico – Liverpool’s front three will expect to fill their boots and, with Fulham’s defence leaky all season, the Spanish stopper could be in for a difficult day.
Fulham’s losing streak has now extended to six matches after losing 3-1 at Leicester at the weekend. Floyd Ayite scored an equaliser early in the second-half but two late goals confirmed yet another Fulham defeat. It followed their 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea, when Calum Chambers’ goal could not inspire an end to their losing streak, while Manchester United, West Ham and Southampton are also among the teams to have beaten the Cottagers in recent weeks.
Jordan Henderson suffered an ankle injury in the win at Bayern Munich and could be out until the end of the month, but Naby Keita may be fit to return in his place. Fabinho looks the more likely to slot back in, however, after replacing him from the bench in Munich. Joe Gomez is closing in on a return from his own long-term ankle injury but is not due back until the end of the month, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered a setback in his battle to return from injury.
Mohamed Salah – Scored in the reverse fixture at Anfield and would love to get back to goalscoring ways having seen his two fellow attackers bag doubles last weekend.
Sadio Mane – When Liverpool score lately, so does he – the Senegalese star has four in the last two games and ten in the last ten.
Roberto Firmino – Back in the goals with two in the win against Burnley, the Brazilian remains integral to Liverpool’s front three.
Liverpool have won their last two matches to end a run of five draws in seven matches that preceded it. This would be their 12th consecutive game without defeat, should they not lose against Fulham. The Reds got back to winning ways after a goalless Merseyside Derby by coming from behind to beat Burnley 4-2 – Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane each netting twice at Anfield. In mid-week, meanwhile, Mane scored twice more as Liverpool won 3-1 at Bayern Munich – Virgil van Dijk scoring the other goal – to book the Reds a Champions League quarter-final place.
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