Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool return to league action on Monday with a match against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. The clubs come into the match on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Reds are well-rested after having a week off matches and training in La Manga, Spain. On the other hand, the Foxes just fired Claudio Ranieri after their 2-1 loss to Sevilla in the Champions League. The champions are also in 17th place in the league table, with relegation looking more and more likely. With all those factors in their favor, Liverpool should be able to get a victory.
Goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet will be hoping for a clean sheet that will help him in his case for remaining the starting ‘keeper for the rest of the year.
Right Back
Nathaniel Clyne isn’t facing that big of a threat in Marc Albrighton, a winger who only has one assist so far this year. If Liverpool dominate possession like they did in the first meeting, Clyne will have the space to burst forward.
Center-Backs
Joel Matip will likely be paired with Lucas Leiva if Dejan Lovren isn’t able to recover in time. While Leicester haven’t been able to be a threat going forward this season, Jaime Vardy and co. are still dangerous on the counter.
Left-Back
While Riyad Mahrez hasn’t been the same player this season, he still presents a challenge for James Milner.
Midfield
With Leicester likely to be in flux after Ranieri’s departure, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum will be able to capitalize on the chaos and dominate the middle of the field. All three should dominate possession and keep the pressure up but Henderson will also have a few opportunities to pick out a pass that will break open a hole in the Foxes’ defense.
Right Back
Sadio Mane will, as usual, be instrumental in exploiting any holes in the opponent’s defense. He opens up so much space for his teammates and forces players on the opposing team to really focus on keeping track of him wherever he is at all times.
Forward
Roberto Firmino scored two against the champions in the first meeting this season and there is no reason why he won’t be able to get at least another one in this match.
Left Wing
Philippe Coutinho should be able to have some freedom on the left side given Danny Simpson’s lackluster play this year. Coutinho could also bait Simpson into getting a yellow card since he leads Leicester in that category.
