No easy pickings for Liverpool in ICC clash with AC Milan
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The oddly-intriguing International Champions Cup wagon rolls around to San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium as Liverpool and AC Milan, two sides looking good in pre-season so far, face off in a friendly.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have been installed as 23/20 favourites by Ladbrokes, seemingly due to their stomping summer form before a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in Pasadena last time out, winning four games on the road prior to jetting off west by a combined score of 10-0.
Five of those did come against League One Fleetwood Town though, while Tranmere, Wigan and Huddersfield were clearly willing victims with the Reds charitably visiting northern outposts, then pressing home their Premier League advantage.
The price can’t be based on league form, with Klopp’s side finishing all the way down the English top flight in eighth last term, while Milan, 23/10 to claim the spoils, managed a place better in Serie A.
New boss Vincenzo Montella has overseen a tidy pre-season so far, with Bordeaux dispatched 2-1 and Bayern Munich beaten on penalties last time out in Chicago, after a 3-3 draw forced a shootout.
Another stalemate, Liverpool’s first of pre-season, looks the value bet at 12/5, and with the sides showing fine form in front of goal, both to score looks is a tempting option at 4/6.
Bearing in mind that this pair’s seven pre-season matches so far have averaged just over three strikes apiece, eschew the 21/10 on offer with Ladbrokes about over 3.5 goals, and opt instead for over 2.5 at 17/20.
Danny Ings looks a fair bet for first goal at 11/2, as the former Burnley man has bagged half of his side’s four openers this summer, while much-maligned left-back Alberto Moreno must be worth a second glance for an anytime strike at 13/2.
Moreno converted a penalty in Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Huddersfield, the last goal they managed, so there’s no reason why Klopp wouldn’t ask the Spaniard to do the same in San Francisco.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
