Liverpool V Portsmouth Betting: Monday, 15th March

Liverpool V Portsmouth

Monday, 15^th March – 20:00 GMT

TV Coverage: ESPN

Liverpool

League Position: 6th

Recent Form: WLDWL

Shocking, pathetic, utterly useless, just a few brief description that could sum up Liverpool’s recent display away at Wigan Athletic. Only Liverpool, a team who’ve fallen acres from heaven down to hell since an enjoyable last season, could lose to a Wigan side who had previously not won a league fixture in seven games. Their lousy team performance got what it deserved, a smack in the face with defeat, and that loss has left Liverpool squirming in seventh and al but out of the race for fourth spot in our eyes.

The gap now looks unbridgeable for Rafael Benitez’s lost looking Liverpool side, who after defeat find themselves a point behind the leading contenders, which doesn’t sound at all bad but the rest all have games in hand over the Reds, with Liverpool having played three more than some. They need a miracle in our opinion, as not only would they need to win all their remaining games, and that looks an impossible and unachievable feat, but they would also need those around them, teams who’ve been far more consistent then they have, to lose a large chunks of their remaining fixtures. The term ‘Not a hope in hell’ springs to mind. 

As far as an honest assessment in this fixture goes; you would like to think Liverpool are certainties but you just don’t get that feeling about them any more, even in a fixture such as this against a team rock-bottom of the Premier League. While they’ve been winning the majority of their games of late, their performance have rarely merited all three points while they’ve still yet to really put a strong run of result together, with Liverpool not managing to string together a run of three successive wins since September of last year. Of course, with Liverpool losing on Monday they look assured to win a week to the day later as that’s what Liverpool do, put in an abysmal display one week before returning to winning ways with a fortunate and undeserved win.

While we couldn’t oppose Liverpool, simply because Portsmouth are a team everyone should be beating, we wouldn’t advise anyone to go delving into their ridiculously low price to win in 90 minutes as they just aren’t worth it. Liverpool have not once lived up their odds-on price tag this season, at least as far as I can remember, so why any one would stick Liverpool in this bets against a team which have shown far more hunger and determination then they have in recent weeks is beyond me. The Reds look lacklustre, out-of-sorts and low in confidence. Not only that but Rafa has them playing in such a disciplined manner that they’re dull to even watch, and that’s coming from a Liverpool fan.

Portsmouth

League Position: 20th

Recent Form: LDLWL

Just when things were looking up, Birmingham pay you a visit and give you a firm reality check. Pompey were given a small dose of their own medicine on Tuesday night by the same team they beat to progress into the semi-finals of the FA Cup just last Saturday. A 2-1 defeat at home to Birmingham City took Portsmouth losing tally for the season to nineteen and left the club five points adrift of safety, although that gap will extend after a nine point penalty for going into administration is enforced.

Every sliver lining and all that, well, Portsmouth ray of sunshine comes in the form of the FA Cup. Their last remaining chance of glory, although the fans would throw all the cup euphoria away if they could exchange it for Premiership safety. That’s not a possibility though, but the dream of making the finals of the FA Cup for the second time in three years is a reality, although you wouldn’t of put your money on it happening, and probably still won’t if truth be told after drawing either Fulham or Tottenham in the next round, but still, at least the fans have something to cheer about after an horrendous season thus far.

The Portsmouth players really did rise to the occasions on Saturday, with the fans right behind them as they battled their hardest for a place in the Semi-Finals of the oldest domestic club competition in the world. Their determination and sheer doggedness to resist going down without a fight earned them a memorable 2-0 win on Saturday, although they returned to their Jekyll & Hyde ways when losing in a miserable manner to the very same side they put out of the cup just seven days ago. We would love to say this typifies Portsmouth’s season thus far as it doesn’t, that would actually be an over exaggeration in what has been a dire campaign for a club destined to slide down the leagues it would seem. 

It certainly doesn’t get any easier mind as they prepare to make the long trip up north to face Liverpool at Anfield. Funnily enough, one of Pompey’s five wins this season season did come against Liverpool back at Fratton Park, but that shouldn’t count for anything as their away form this season, and of late for that matter, has been abysmal, with just two away wins to their name after fourteen outings, although they did win on their very last venture away from the South Coast in a 2-1 win at Burnley.

Match Verdict: Liverpool to WIN – 1.25 BetFred

I think if this was any team other than Portsmouth heading up to Anfield then Liverpool wouldn’t be the selection. However, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable opposing Liverpool, that makes me chuckle considering it’s usually the right option nowadays, against a team rock-bottom of the Premiership and are just mere days from being walloped with a nine point penalty, one which will effectually rip them of their Premiership. status. Moreover, after enduring defeat at the hands of struggling Wigan Athletic during the week, this is now a fixture just have to win, literally, as anything but would definitely rule them out of the running for fourth spot in our eyes, that if they aren’t already out of contention already after that Latics defeat. The Reds need a win, a convincing one to give the morale a camp in a big boost, and they may just get it at the expense of a demoralised Portsmouth.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 1.25 BetFred

Draw – 5.50 Bet365

Portsmouth – 15.00 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Pick: Fernando Torres FGS – 3/1 Coral