Fulham host Liverpool at Craven Cottage in the second leg of their 2023-24 Carabao Cup semi-final.
Trailing 2-1 on aggregate from the first leg at Anfield, Fulham must simply win to keep their hopes of reaching a first final in this competition alive, although the tie would go to penalties if Marco Silva’s Cottagers win by a one-goal margin.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds meanwhile know that anything other than defeat would see them reach a 14th Final in this competition.
Team News
Adama Traore is still ruled out for Fulham as he nears a return from a hamstring injury.
Fode Ballo-Toure, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi (all international duty) remain absent.
Liverpool could welcome Andrew Robertson back into contention after three months out with a shoulder injury.
Curtis Jones however is a doubt after he picked up a hamstring injury during their league win at Bournemouth last weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Doak (both knee), Konstantinos Tsimikas (shoulder), Joel Matip (ACL), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah (both international) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Fulham entertain Liverpool at Craven Cottage on Wednesday 24 January at 8pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Fulham have failed to win in any of their previous ten meetings against Liverpool in this competition (D2, L8).
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their four previous visits to Fulham in this competition (W3, D1).
- Both teams have scored in three of their four previous clashes in this competition played at Craven Cottage, except for a 1-0 win to Liverpool in November 1983.
- Two of Fulham’s three goals at home in this season’s competition were scored in the opening 20 minutes.
- Liverpool are yet to keep a clean sheet in this season’s competition (W4).
Prediction
After suffering a narrow defeat at Anfield in the first leg then away to Chelsea in their recent league game, Fulham have hopefully focused on their end product during their break because they are otherwise solid defensively aside from mistakes.
Their finishing touches however has been costly because they could of easily been two or three goals up in the first leg before Liverpool turned it around, whilst they deserved to draw at Chelsea if had converted more of their chances with a clinical edge.
Liverpool meanwhile absolutely outclassed Bournemouth with a clinical second-half display after a sluggish first half, so should come into this game full of belief and hopefully they won’t be as sloppy as they were for much of the first leg.
All pressure however will be on Fulham because they really must score first which might suit Jurgen Klopp’s Reds if they can soak up the pressure and let their quality shine through, especially like it ultimately did at Bournemouth.
Prediction: Fulham 1-2 Liverpool
Result: Fulham 1-1 Liverpool (Liverpool win 3-2 on aggregate)
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