Liverpool host Southampton in the second leg of the semi-final of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, 25 January. The Reds will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to Swansea in the Premier League.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7:45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD.

Overview

Liverpool failed to take full points from relegation battling Swansea and faltered in the race for the title. Chelsea took full points against Hull City while Arsenal were the only other team in the top four to take three points, leapfrogging themselves into the second spot for the time being.

The Reds will have an eye on next week when they play Chelsea. Anything less than a win will be a massive blow to their title hopes, given they are already 10 points behind the Blues. They are likely to put out a full strength squad for the EFL Cup tie, given that the Saints are seriously weakened by the absence of their prime centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who is reported to be out for up to three months with an injury.

The Saints are unlucky to come into the game with only a one-goal advantage, having dominated the tie at St Mary's. Shane Long had his shot cleared off the line while Dusan Tadic missed a flurry of gilt- edged chances. Given their profligacy in front of goal, the Saints will be wary of a rejuvenated Liverpool side, who will be desperate to get back to winning ways.

England Under-21 international Jack Stephens will play in the absence of Van Dijk, and manager Claude Puel will be looking to build on the lead given by Nathan Redmond's strike. The winners of this semi-final will play the winner of the tie between Manchester United and Hull City, with the Red Devils holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

Philippe Coutinho and Jurgen Klopp
Philippe Coutinho emerged as one of the stars of the Premier League during the first half of the season. Getty Images

What Managers Say

Jurgen Klopp: "Of course we want to be part of the final but we don't just want that, we want to go there and win it. The first step is to beat Southampton. We wanted to win the competition last year when we reached the final. Our brain functions well enough to remember this. If you saw us celebrating after the quarter-final, we were really happy to go to the semi-final. The only reason to go to the semi-final wasn't to play two more games, it was to go to the final. For us, we don't judge this tournament. It's the earliest possibility in a season to win a trophy. We want to be in the final and win the final, which will be really difficult against Man United probably, but it's still possible. We'll reach for the heights. We will be ready on Wednesday and we have to play." via (The Liverpool Echo)

Claude Puel: "We know this game will be difficult against a great team and great players. They lost their last game in the Premier League against Swansea and will want to react. It's important for us to stay with good focus about our game, our play, and to play with good calm and quality. We are in a situation where it is not efficient to stay just one goal up. It will be important to score another goal away. We will have a good team and a strong team to defend this result, but not just to defend but to attack also and play a strong game like the first leg." via (The Mirror)

Betting Odds (betfair)

  • Liverpool win: 1/2
  • Draw: 7/5
  • Southampton win: 6

Team News

Southampton

Possible XI: Forster; Martinez, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand; Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez; Davis, Long, Redmond

Liverpool

Possible XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Klavan, Lovren, Milner; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Coutinho, Firmino, Origi.

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