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Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lambert

Liverpool will take on Southampton in their first game of the 2014/15 Premier League season at Anfield on Sunday.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 1:30pm BST. Live coverage is on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD. Catch the highlights of the game on Match of the Day 2 on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10:25pm BST.

Overview

After finishing second in the league in the previous campaign and losing the title to Manchester City by two points, Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to start the new season with a win against Southampton.

Liverpool and Southampton were in the news throughout the summer as the Reds have signed three of the Saints' players so far in the ongoing transfer window: Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren.

The Merseyside club had an impressive pre-season with only one defeat, which came in the final of the International Champions Cup against Manchester United in the US. In the last fixture, Liverpool defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-0 at Anfield.

Ronald Koeman and Shane Long
Ronald Koeman Getty

Southampton have had a tough summer as several high-profile players have left St Mary's Stadium. Apart from three players who signed for Liverpool, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers left the South Coast club to join United and Arsenal respectively.

The Saints start the season under the guidance of their new manager Ronald Koeman after their former manager Mauricio Pochettino signed a five-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur. So far in the pre-season, Southampton have lost only one of their last six matches.

What Managers Say

Brendan Rodgers: "What happened last season counts for nothing, but we carry the belief. We want to be competitive. [To] finish in the top four is our objective. In the league it is about sustaining Champions League football. I've seen some odds and we're not even in the top four. People will rightly look to (Manchester) City and Chelsea, but we are here to challenge."

Ronald Koeman: "I think we are much better than some people think. I know the players after six weeks. I cannot do anything about that [other people's opinions]. If you'd like to put some money on us to go down, I think you will lose it. What I see in the pre-season is that we are a much better team than some other teams in the Premier League."

Betting Odds (888Sport.com)

  • Liverpool to win: 3/8
  • Southampton to win: 7
  • Draw: 21/5

Team Form

Liverpool

  • Last Result: Liverpool 4-0 Borussia Dortmund
  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W L W D W

Southampton

  • Last Result: Southampton 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen
  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L W W W W

Team News

Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers Getty

Liverpool

  • Injured: Borini (shoulder), Ilori (thigh), Lallana (knee), Markovic (ankle), Flanagan (knee), Agger (calf)
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrktel, Lovren, Johnson; Gerrard, Henderson; Sterling, Coutinho, Can; Sturridge

Southampton

  • Injured: Rodriguez (knee), Gardos (hamstring)
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Forster; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Bertrand; Schneiderlin, Cork, Ward-Prowse, Davis; Tadic, Pelle

Premier League Liverpool FC