EFL Cup: Back Man United and Liverpool to both progress to final
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It may not have been the start Liverpool would have wished for, losing 1-0 in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg to Southampton, but Jurgen Klopp’s men are more than capable of turning things around.
Couple that with an expected comfortable Manchester United victory against 80/1 outsiders for the title, Hull City, and you’re left with a tempting 5.25/1 double…
Liverpool v Southampton
It was always going to be a huge ask for Klopp’s Liverpool to leave St Mary’s with the upper hand.
And while a draw would have obviously been a preferable outcome, a 1-0 loss means the Reds needn’t panic too much yet.
This is a competition the Merseyside outfit have historically done well in over the years, having won it on eight previous occasions, while finishing as runners-up four times – most recently last year.
And given their incredible record at Anfield – which admittedly took a hit this weekend – it’s hard to see the Saints stepping out at Wembley in the final on February 26.
But if you’re backing a Liverpool win, it’s likely Klopp will want to get the job done without the stress of extra-time.
An extra thirty minutes of football is something the Reds could certainly do without at the moment. Especially having already had to face an Emirates FA Cup Third Round Replay away at Plymouth Argyle, while trying to prepare for a crucial Premier League clash with Chelsea in the coming weeks.
In order to progress to the final without going through extra-time, Liverpool would need to win by more than one goal, and that’s exactly what we’re expecting to happen.
Top Bet – Liverpool -1 @ 6/4
Hull City v Man United
Meanwhile, while Jose Mourinho’s men may have one foot in the final, they’d still like to progress in style.
Heading to the KCOM Stadium with a 2-0 advantage, it’s likely the Red Devils will rest some of their bigger players.
But Mourinho will know not too take the Tigers lightly, and for that reason you can still expect to see the likes of Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford feature.
It’s worth noting that Hull haven’t scored against United since a 63rd minute Matt Fryatt strike in 2014.
The pair have met four times since then, and we’re not expecting that drought to end any time soon.
Given the importance of this competition for Mourinho – who would take any trophy, be it the EFL Cup or the Premier League as a sign of progression at Old Trafford – we wouldn’t be surprised to see a result similar to the one we witnessed two weeks ago in Manchester.
Top Bet – Man United -1 @ 6/4
Click here for a full list of EFL Cup odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
