Liverpool kick off against Blackburn in a 4pm encounter this Sunday, with the Reds aiming for a place in the next round. Life has certainly changed for the better for Brendan Rodgers and his team.
After losing to bitter rivals Man Utd in a 3-1 December matchup at Old Trafford, the Anfield side have fought back superbly. The Reds have gone on a tear by winning Premier League games and improve their standing in the table.
Without so much pressure on Liverpool, they can focus on trying to progress in the FA Cup. After all, this is a winnable game against Championship opposition.
In the previous round, Blackburn had the luxury of playing at home. And this worked spectacularly to their favour in a 4-1 rout over Premier League Stoke. That was among the most unbelievable results of the round.
To compare, Liverpool have exhibited the best form in the Premier League over the past six games. Just recently, they dispatched Man City 2-1 at Anfield. And now that the Reds are out of the Europa League, they will absolutely want to progress in the FA Cup.
Expectations
Liverpool might not select Daniel Sturridge for this game, as they will have played Burnley in the league on Wednesday night. Depending on how that game plays out, Sturridge might not have the energy to start this game. By the time he would be considered as a sub, the game might already be over.
Blackburn can barely stay above mid-table in the Championship, and they aren’t going to continually embarrass Premier League opposition. Travelling to Anfield will likely spell the end of their FA Cup dream.
Match Tips
Tip one: Liverpool @ 1.30 with Betfair
Tip two: Mario Balotelli anytime goal scorer @ 2.15 with Betfair
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Mario Balotelli could feature in this game. He didn’t appear against Southampton and Man City in the Premier League. Rodgers should give him another shot after he took the ball from Jordan Henderson in the previous round and scored the winning penalty. The fiery Italian has good value with odds of 2.15 to be an anytime goal scorer.
