Back confident Soldado to find the net against Liverpool

Life at Tottenham has not been all plain sailing for Roberto Soldado following his high profile move from Valencia last summer but Thursday night’s Europa League hat-trick against Anzhi Makhachkala can give him the confidence to repeat the trick – starting against Liverpool.

With just six goals in four months for his new club, and only three coming from open play, many doubted whether the Spanish forward could justify his £26m price tag.

And with Jermain Defoe taking his place in the side for the Premier League wins over Sunderland and Fulham, it promised to be a long winter for the Spanish international.

But strikers thrive on confidence, not to mention goals, and after guiding Spurs to a sixth straight win in the Europa League this season, Soldado, who now has nine goals in 16 appearances for the Lilywhites, can make a consistent return to the scoresheet.

The former Real Madrid striker is 6/4 to score at any time against Liverpool but if his performance against the Russian side has convinced Andre Villas-Boas to plump with him from the start, the 27-year-old is 5/1 with Ladbrokes to find the net first – a feat he has achieved four times already this season.

While facing Anzhi in the Europa League is a different proposition to lining up against Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, the Spanish international is 33/1 to hit another hat-trick at White Hart Lane.

But with the Reds heading to north London without the injured pair of Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge, Tottenham, will be confident of a victory over one of their top four rivals

Therefore backing Soldado to silence the doubters once more and score in a Tottenham win at odds of 10/3 could be where the value lies in this crucial Premier League clash.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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