Liverpool vs Derby Predictions

• Liverpool failed to win each of their last five League Cup home games within 90 minutes.
• Liverpool are expected to rotate their squad with one eye on the weekend.
• Derby have scored in five of their last six competitive away games.

Cup holders Liverpool should cruise past Derby

Liverpool seem to have bounced back from a wobbling spell with back-to-back victories over Napoli and Spurs, and now they have the luxury of facing League One Derby County in this midweek League Cup clash.

Jurgen Klopp has previous for rotating his squads in earlier cup rounds, so we could see some of Liverpool’s youth and fringe players in the mix here, which could give the visitors some hope of upsetting the applecart.

Liverpool failed to win any of their last five home games in the League Cup within 90 minutes, although that’s perhaps not comparable given that they were all in games against Premier League opponents. Even so, Derby will come to Anfield with stars in their eyes with the hopes of giving their long-suffering fans a goal to cheer.

Can the Rams find the net?

Given that Liverpool are a ridiculously short price to win this game, we must look elsewhere for a value bet. Derby County almost suffered liquidation last season but have since steadied the ship in England’s third-tier under their new ownership.

Although the quality of opposition they face on a weekly basis is nowhere near that of Liverpool’s level, Derby know where the net is as they’ve proven when scoring in five of their last six away trips.

The verdict

We’re going for a BTTS selection in this clash as the price may not be better than evens when the team sheets are released if Liverpool make wholesale changes.

Think back to Liverpool’s League Cup home games against Carlisle (1-1) and more famously Middlesbrough (2-2), the latter of which ended in the League Cup’s longest ever penalty shootout that was eventually won 16-15 by Liverpool!

Such clashes should give Derby confidence of at least getting on the scoresheet, although we’re not bold enough to suggest that this will be a giant killing and are going for a 3-1 home win for smaller stakes in the correct score market.