Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has said on multiple occasions that the Starting XI would rotate heavily between Champions League and EPL fixtures. Expect that trend to continue when the Reds host Villarreal on October 20 in Champions League action.
Our predicted Liverpool XI
The explanation
If this Lineup looks familiar, it is quite similar to the one that Iraola used vs. Lask in the last UCL match. The main difference is that Frimpong is not available do to injury, so Joe Gomez slides in his spot. Expect Kostas Tsimikas to wear the captain’s armband in place of Van Dijk; Ryan Gravenberch should be fully rested after serving a red card suspension and Trey Nyoni did well after coming on for an injured Dominik Szoboszlai vs Brentford so I expect him to get the start, even if he does not go the full 90.
Up top, Bradley Barcola is to valuable to leave on the bench while Lewis Koumas has played very well the last two matches. Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz continue their regular rotation on the right side and Cody Gakpo will get the nod at striker.
Other possibilities
I don’t see many personnel options different from the ones listed above, but players could wind up in slightly different positions on the field. For example, Tsimikas and Gomez could swap places in the back while Ngumoha could play as the striker instead of on the right wing. Of course, Iraola always has the choice not to rest some big names like Van Dijk, and Isak but with a big match vs. Brighton coming on the weekend, I don’t think that will happen.
LFC Globe Verdict
Between competitions. Iraola has settled on a successful formula for rotating players between competitions and I dont expect him to deviate too much from it. He could once the Reds advance to the knockout rounds, but for the League Phase, I think this Predicted XI is more than strong enough to get past Villarreal.
Your Liverpool XI
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Have your say
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