Liverpool are confident they can get into the next round when they welcome a struggling Barnsley side in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield on Monday night.
Arne Slot’s charges are fourth on the English Premier League table, a staggering 57 places higher than Barnsley who are languishing in 17th place in the League One standings.
Liverpool have turned their fortunes around in recent weeks and are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run, boosting their confidence ahead of this home FA Cup clash. Despite this run, they have drawn their last three games heading into this one.
The reds are desperate to right their wrongs from last seasons FA Cup where they fell victim to a huge upset. Plymouth Argyle edged Liverpool 1-0 to knock them out in the fourth round.
Barnsley will need a miracle if they are to inflict further damage to the reds, but have had a torrid time on the road so far. They have only managed two wins from their last 12 away games.
Barnsley have never won the FA Cup, losing the 1912 final to West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool on the other hand last won the title in 2022 with victory against Chelsea and are looking to win a ninth FA Cup trophy.
Here we have a look at all key details of the match as well as our predicted outcome for the Monday night fixture.
What time does the game start?
The match kicks off at 10:45PM E.A.T
Liverpool vs Barnsley team news
There are plenty of changes expected in the Liverpool lineup. Slot will need to rest a couple of key players for squad rotation purposes.
Mohamed Salah remains absent as his Egypt side are in the semifinals of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Jeremie Frimpong has been impressive in the last couple of games and could retain his starting role. As well as Florian Wirtz, who is slowly building his confidence after two goal involvements for the club.
Conor Bradley, Federico Chiesa and Curtis Jones are all expected to start as well after being rested in the barren draw at Arsenal.
The opposite is expected from the visitors as they look to field their strongest XI, hoping to cause yet another FA Cup upset.
Luca Connell was sent off against Wigan but may be included here, with Davis Keillor-Dunn leading the attack.
Liverpool vs Barnsley head-to-head and current form
The last time Barnsley beat Liverpool was a 1-0 victory in the 2008 FA Cup and are hoping they can repeat that success here. However, they have only won one of their last five games in all competitions.
The reds on the other hand are unbeaten in that run. They are coming off three successive draws and need to put their best foot forward to win convincingly here.
Current form:
Liverpool – DDDWW
Barnsley – DLLLW
Liverpool vs Barnsley previous matches:
- Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley (Feb 16, 2008)
- Barnsley 2-3 Liverpool (March 28, 1998)
- Liverpool 0-1 Barnsley (Nov 22, 1997)
Liverpool vs Barnsley prediction
The home team are the favorites to come out on top, judging by their recent run of form and the quality of players in their squad.
Barnsley’s poor run of form is something Liverpool will capitalize on, with the chance of a clean sheet very likely as well.