Southampton host Liverpool at St Mary’s, looking to continue their recent unbeaten run.
Southampton host Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday looking to extend their recent unbeaten run that has seen Mauricio Pellegrino’s men win three and draw three of their last six games in all competitions.
The Saints have spent much of 2018 in the relegation zone in the top flight, but moved themselves away from the bottom three in their most recent game as they initially came from behind to beat fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at The Hawthorns.
That victory would have taken some of the pressure off Pellegrino’s shoulders, but that would be nothing compared to what a win in their next fixture would do.
The Saints host the Reds on the south coast and the main sub-plot heading into the game is undoubtedly the return of Virgil van Dijk, who left for Anfield at the start of the January transfer window. Former Saints Sadio Mane and Dejan Lovren may also feature, but it may well be the Dutch defender who receives the worst reception from the fans.
In terms of the Southampton lineup, the fans may be urging Pellegrino to keep faith with the majority of the side that beat the Baggies last weekend, and that includes keeping Mario Lemina – who was sensational in the win – in the midfield.
The one change that they should perhaps consider sees Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replace Oriol Romeu alongside Lemina. And while it seems more likely that they will start on the bench, perhaps the likes of Nathan Redmond, Manolo Gabbiadini and Maya Yoshida will hope that they will be in the manager’s thoughts.
With that in mind, here is a look at the predicted lineup…
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