Wolverhampton – Liverpool

Merseyside once again will fail to beat uncomfortable opponents in regulation time

The replay of the FA Cup 1/32 final between Wolverhampton and Liverpool comes two full days after the opponents took part in the 20th round of the Premier League. The first encounter on 7 January at Anfield ended in a 2-2 draw. In 26 minutes, Wolverhampton scored a goal through Gedesh. By the 52nd minute, Liverpool had managed two goals and seemed to have come to their senses. However, midway through the second half, the visitors levelled the score and took the contest back to their own field. The most frustrating thing for the Reds fans was that Jurgen Klopp had fielded his main squad for the first leg, expecting to win and prepare for an away trip to Brighton. For the replay, bookmakers have once again identified Liverpool as favourites, offering odds of 1.44 on their progression to the 1/16 final. Wolverhampton have had two fixtures since their first date with the Merseysiders. The team lost to Nottingham Forest in the League Cup quarter-finals, but played well against West Ham United three days later in the Premier League and won 1-0. The win allowed the Wolves to climb out of the relegation zone despite having the worst attacking performance of any club in the elite division. Certainly, for the match against Liverpool, this fact will help the team to come out in a great mood. Interestingly, in the game against the Hammers, Wolverhampton had one Englishman and six Portuguese on the pitch. Liverpool, previously knocked out of the League Cup after a date with Manchester City, had the luxury of a full week to prepare for a trip to tough but not blameless Brighton. More recently, Arsenal made a similar trip and scored four goals against the Seagulls in their nest, taking three points with them to London. Klopp's team, unlike the Canaries, were simply beaten 0-3 at the Amex Stadium. The systemic crisis in the Merseyside side is now beyond doubt. It would seem that Liverpool should go into the upcoming match angry and crush their opponents, but the situation for the Reds in the league has now deteriorated so much that preparation for the game with Chelsea this coming Saturday comes to the fore without any alternative. It is unlikely that Klopp will field a core squad to set up the players to win in regulation time.