Liverpool will travel to the Etihad to face title-chasing Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to cut the gap on the teams above them.
The Reds were beaten by Bournemouth in the Premier league before the international break, and were then knocked out of the Champions League by holders Real Madrid.
Manchester City, on the other hand, have won their last six games in a row. The Sky Blues have scored an incredible 13 goals in their last two games, and will hope to cut the gap on Arsenal in their bid for the title.
Liverpool enter a crunch time of the season as they face Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in their next three games. They are currently seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the fourth spot on the league table.
Manchester City vs Liverpool – Team News
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be without Phil Foden, who is recovering from appendicitis surgery. Erling Haaland will be assessed ahead of the game. Should the Norwegian fail to prove his fitness, Julian Alvarez could take his place in the Manchester City lineup.
Liverpool
Luis Diaz is back in training, but Jurgen Klopp revealed in his press conference that the Colombian will play no part against Manchester City. Thiago Alcantara is also unlikely to feature, while Stefan Bajcetic will play no part as he will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
Darwin Nunez is likely to be assessed ahead of the game and could most likely make it after missing Uruguay’s international friendlies against Japan and South Korea.
Jürgen Klopp welcomed the 'massive boost' of Luis Diaz returning to training but confirmed the Colombian will play no part in our encounter at Manchester City.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 31, 2023
Manchester City vs Liverpool – Predicted Lineups
Manchester City predicted lineup: Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte; Rodri, Rico Lewis; Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish; Julian Alvarez
Liverpool predicted lineup: Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Cody Gakpo, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez
Manchester City vs Liverpool – Key Players
Kevin de Bruyne will once again pull the strings in midfield. Considering how inconsistent Liverpool’s midfield has been, if de Bruyne is anywhere near his best, he could cause chaos in the Liverpool half with his passing.
A selection of our best goals at home against Liverpool 💪
Let us know your favourite 👇 pic.twitter.com/G3uC7EozJi
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 31, 2023
Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly the man for the big occasion for Liverpool. The Egyptian star usually turns it on in this fixture and has six goals in 11 Premier League appearances against Manchester City. The Reds will hope Salah is at his best come Saturday.
Manchester City vs Liverpool – Odds and Prediction
Liverpool can often spring a surprise just when the chips are down. The international break could also play a part, but it would be a big surprise if. We see any result other than a Manchester City win.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool
Odds (Bet365): Manchester City win: 8/13, Liverpool win: 4/1, Draw: 16/5
