Liverpool vs Bournemouth: LIV vs BOU – Liverpool begin their Premier League journey at home against Bournemouth on Saturday. The Reds faltered last season when they decided not to bolster their midfield. This season, their midfield is going through drastic changes. However, most of them have been players departing and they are still in the process of bringing in reinforcements. In the midst of the process, they had a shaky pre-season campaign. They’re now approaching this match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in their Premier League opening match.
Liverpool ended last season in 5th place in the Premier League table. They decided against bolstering their midfield at the start of the season and paid the price heavily later on. They fell so deep in the middle of the competition that many doubted if the Reds will even qualify for any European competition. However, they pulled through near the end of the season and ended up in fifth place. Hence, they will not be playing the Champions League for the first time since coach Jurgen Klopp’s first season at the helm.
In their pre-season friendlies, the Reds won three matches against Karlsruher, Leicester City, and Darmstadt. They drew once against Greuther Furth and lost once against Bayern Munich. Their opening Premier League game was against Chelsea on last Sunday which they drew by a 1-1 margin. With 35% possession on the ball, the Reds should consider themselves fortunate enough to get away with a point. They did score the opener of the match with a goal netted by Luis Diaz in the 18th minute of the game.
However, then Chelsea’s Axel Disasi took quick advantage of a stagnant defending from the Reds. He scored the equalizer for the Blues in the 37th minute of the game. The Reds could not find the back of the net for the rest of the game, but they stopped the Blues from scoring another time. However, the absence of a number six was visible. Captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Fabio Carvalho, and Arthur Melo left Anfield this summer.
Hence, a struggling midfield was expected following the departure of most of their key midfielders. They’ve bolstered their engine room with the addition of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai. Both players fitted well in the team very quickly. Now, a move for Wataru Endo could soon be finalised. However, that can take some time and could be after their first home game against Bournemouth. Even if he arrives, it will take him some time to adjust before he is thrown on the field.
On the other hand, Liverpool are more in trouble in the middle due to Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic’s injuries. Bajcetic is still suffering from his adductor issue. However, Alcantara is seen in the training more now. Hence, his inclusion into the first team could depend on a late decision from the coach. In the meantime, both Joe Matip and Curtis Jones missed Wednesday afternoon’s full training session. If Jones is fit, he could replace Cody Gakpo in the starting XI. Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez could replace Diogo Jota following his performance in the last match.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
