Southampton vs Liverpool predictions, odds and betting tips

Southampton and Liverpool will go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

Southampton vs Liverpool best bets

• Liverpool to win both halves – 7/4 with Betfred
• Over 3.5 goals – 10/11 with Spreadex
• Darwin Nunez to score any time –11/10 with Paddy Power

Southampton vs Liverpool odds

Find the latest match odds for Southampton vs Liverpool. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Southampton vs Liverpool predictions

Within 15 minutes of kick-off against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Southampton’s strategy was already one of damage limitation. Perhaps that is now the aim for the rest of the season. 

The Saints found themselves 3-0 down to Spurs after just a quarter of an hour. By half-time they were trailing 5-0. That is how the match finished, with Southampton lucky that their opponents took their foot off the gas after the break.

Russell Martin paid the ultimate price for that hefty defeat. Southampton did not even wait until Monday to pull the trigger. They are now on the lookout for a new head coach.

Martin did not do himself any favours. It was clear from the get-go that his Southampton side were not good enough to continue playing the same brand of football that won them promotion from the Championship last term.

Their squad is one of the weakest in the top flight, so a policy of trying to dominate possession and building up from the back always looked likely to fail. Martin’s refusal to adapt cast him in a negative light. He should have swallowed his pride and adopted a more pragmatic attitude. 

Whoever takes control at St Mary’s Stadium will be inheriting a difficult situation. Having won only one of their 16 Premier League matches to date, Southampton are already nine points adrift of safety. It would take a monumental effort for them to survive from here.

There have been few positives to take from the first few months of the 2024/25 campaign, but Southampton’s performance in the EFL Cup has been a rare bright spot.

A victory over Liverpool on Wednesday, however improbable that seems right now, would send Southampton through to the semi-finals following earlier triumphs over Cardiff City, Everton and Stoke City.

At the time of writing the club has not announced a permanent successor to Martin, so it will be left to Under-21 manager Simon Rusk to lead the team against Liverpool.

Southampton have bigger fish to fry than the EFL Cup, however, and most fans would prefer to see their team beat Fulham on Sunday in their final Premier League game before Christmas.

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Southampton vs Liverpool betting tips

A place in the last four of the EFL Cup is the prize awaiting the winner of this match at St Mary’s Stadium.

Liverpool to win both halves

Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League and Champions League, while they are also strong favourites to reach the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.

No prizes are handed out in December, though, and Arne Slot will not be taking anything for granted despite his team’s strong start to the campaign.

Moreover, Liverpool have drawn back-to-back domestic matches against Newcastle United and Fulham, so they could do with getting back on track against Southampton.

Given how poor their opponents have been in recent months, it is hard to see Liverpool being denied here.

They had to work hard to beat Southampton in the league a few weeks back, but this should be a more comfortable 90 minutes.

⚽ Tip Liverpool to win both halves at 7/4 with Betfred ⚽

Over 3.5 goals

Southampton have been woeful at the back so far this term. In their 16 Premier League games they have conceded 36 times, an average of 2.25 per game.

Liverpool’s attacking players will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing a team that really struggles to keep things tight at the back.

Even if Slot rotates as he did in previous rounds of the EFL Cup, Liverpool have tremendous depth in forward areas.

Liverpool’s recent meetings with Newcastle and Fulham featured more than 3.5 goals, as did Southampton’s thrashing by Tottenham at the weekend. We anticipate more of the same here.

⚽ Go for over 3.5 goals at 10/11 with Spreadex ⚽

Darwin Nunez to score anytime

When Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez in the summer of 2022, they no doubt envisaged him being the team’s go-to striker for years to come.

Instead, Nunez has become a squad player at Anfield. You could argue he is third in the pecking order for the centre-forward role, behind Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

The Uruguay international should get a chance to shine on Wednesday, though, with Slot likely to shuffle his pack ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash with Tottenham in the league.

Nunez is a handful when he is on his game, but his finishing is erratic and you can never be sure what will happen when he is running through on goal.

But there is definitely a player in there and we could see Nunez take full advantage of Southampton’s leaky backline.

⚽ Back Darwin Nunez to score any time at 11/10 with Paddy Power ⚽

📺 How to watch Southampton vs Liverpool

• Location: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England.
• Date and time: Wednesday 18th December, 8pm.
• How to watch: Sky Sports Football.

Read more about the 2024/25 football season

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