Blue chews-daze: Predictions v Liverpool

Not long back from a week’s holiday so straight to it…

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game which, for me blog wise, was WAY back during our F.A. Cup clash at Leyton Orient: 7/11).

A very fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Marmoush____________________

Savinho______________________________________Silva

__________De Bruyne____________Foden_____________

_____________________Gonzalez____________________

Gvardiol_________________________________Khusanov

______________Ake_______________Dias_____________

_____________________Ederson_____________________

Subs: Ortega, Lewis, Reis, Kovacic, Gundogan, McAtee, Grealish, Doku and Haaland.

Ederson in goal.

A back four of Josko, Nathan, Ruben and Abdukodir.

Nico in the holding midfield position and I’m going for an advanced four of Savinho, Kevin, Phil and Bernardo all ahead of the Spaniard.

With some doubts and late fitness tests still to be made on Erling Haaland following Pep’s pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, I’m going for Omar to take up the ‘number 9’ position later today.

Stefan is reserve stopper; Rico and Vitor provide defensive cover. Mateo, Ilkay and James are three midfielders on the side; Jack and Jeremy make up two wide options from ‘the 9’ and Erling may, at least, be fit enough to give us a change of striker option.

Notable absences:

- John Stones – Out with a thigh injury that might require surgery. Should he need to ‘go under the knife’, that could well be his season over.

- Manuel Akanji – Possibly out for the rest of the season after badly damaging his abductor muscle, for which he had surgery on 15^th February. Best case scenario is that he could be back around the end of April / beginning of May.

- Rodri – Out for the season with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. Surgery was completed months ago and the slow road to recovery continues.

- Matheus Nunes – Even with four players definitely out injured, it leaves us with ten players vying for nine places on the bench. My guess is that it’ll be Matheus who misses out.

- Oscar Bobb – Struggling with both ankle and fitness issues as he makes his long comeback from a fractured leg that he suffered last August.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

Yeah.

I mean, there’s a good argument to suggest that our midfield workhorse, Bernardo Silva, would suit us better in the middle instead of Kevin De Bruyne and that putting Jeremy Doku on the opposite flank to Savinho would really stretch Liverpool and provide extra crossing ammo for Omar Marmoush. I’d go with that too, no problem.

However, at home and having been rested for a full-12 days; if Kevin can bring something close to his ‘A game’ then that could cause our visitors a lot of issues too and I can see Pep thinking that way as well.

Result?

There are so many reasons to give this one to the Merseyside reds. An attacking threat that has scored 62 league goals in 26 games against a side who has been self-destructing at the back for most of the season is one obvious suggestion. Less injuries and a younger, sharper team generally would be another one to chuck into the mix, I would say. It’s gonna be a tough afternoon for sure.

But at home, with a bit more muscle and security in midfield through recent signing Nico Gonzalez and with the attacking threat we carry; I can genuinely see us having a chance of getting something from this one.

We’re still filling defensive holes with players who will be playing out of position but as we’ve seen in recent weeks, Liverpool too haven’t exactly been rock solid at the back either; shipping in 6 goals in their last 4 outings (a 1-0 defeat, a 2-2 draw, a 2-1 win and another 2-2 draw).

I’m going for an entertaining score draw this afternoon…and I’ll definitely take that during this difficult run of fixtures.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:

Prediction: Win

Result: Drew

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)