Liverpool – Crystal Palace will be a tense encounter on Sunday in Anfield (starting time 11am ET on NBC and online via Peacock Premium) as Jurgen Klopp’s side need a win on the last day of the season to claim a top -4 place to secure. They fight with Chelsea and Leicester to qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool have had a good, unbeaten run in the last nine games. After the impressive 3-0 win at Burnley in the middle of the week, Jürgen Klopp told ProSoccerTalk that he « never expected » that his injured team would be in this situation on the last day of the season. As long as they win and Leicester City don’t beat Tottenham hard and the goal difference swings five goals in their favor on the last day, Liverpool will play in the Champions League next season. With 10,000 fans at Anfield, that will be huge when it comes to getting them across the line.
After serious injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip and many, many others throughout the season it’s a great achievement for the 2019-20 champions to finish in the top four. It would be right up there with Klopp’s best, but the job isn’t done and his makeshift defense is still showing a few shaky signs in every game. However, if Alisson comes to the corner and scores a late winner, as he did at West Brom last week, it seems like fate is in favor of Liverpool getting into the top four.
Crystal Palace can play the part of the party pooper as Roy Hodgson wants to mark his time as head of his youth club in style. There’s an air of excitement in the air as Palace has delivered some shocks in Anfield in recent years, with Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha starring. Palace are on the verge of entering a new era as Hodgson ruled out after four years in charge, while up to 12 players will be leaving the club this summer when their contracts end. Chairman Steve Parish has a big decision to make as to who his next manager will be. Injuries weren’t good for the Eagles this season, but they were safe throughout the midtable.
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Liverpool is without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Ozan Kabak and Naby Keita Ben Davies. Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson are surprising inclusions on the bench.
Crystal Palace is without Christian Benteke and Luka Milivojevic, while James McCarthy, Connor Wickham, Nathan Ferguson, Mamadou Sakho, Scott Dann and Eberechi Eze are all off
Jürgen Klopp on Liverpool’s injuries throughout the season: « As good as they are, if City misses their three mid-halves, no [they don’t win the league]. Three mid-halves from United, No. That’s the way it is for the whole season. We struggled a bit, accepted the difficulties and made the best of it. If we win on Sunday and qualify for the Champions League, we’ll have made the most of it. That’s it. «
Liverpool are -667 the favorite among the big underdogs, Crystal Palace with 1400. The draw is 700.
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Liverpool have to win this and get the feeling that they are doing their best again. They are getting better defensively and their strikers have regained their form. This will be tight and Palace is dangerous during the break, but Klopp will smile at the Kop at the final whistle. Liverpool 2-1 Crystal Palace.
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