Capital One Cup Semi Final: Liverpool vs. Stoke City

Liverpool walked into Stoke on January 5 and walked away with a win in the first leg of the Capital One Cup Semi-Final. Over their last three Premier League matches, the Reds tied Arsenal, lost to Manchester United and beat Norwich in a nail-biter 4-5. Tonight they will be without some key defensive players and Stoke could take the opportunity to capitalize on potential holes in their defense.

Nathaniel Clyne might be the biggest name to miss tonight’s match with a knee injury, and it is still unclear if he will play. Dejan Lovren is not at 100% and to make matters worse, Steven Caulker will not be in the lineup either. Manager Jurgen Klopp has been the center of criticism for the Reds’ inconsistent play since taking over just four months ago, but if he wins tonight, he will take them to the final of the Capital One Cup to face either Man. City or Everton.

The odds are stacked against Stoke to pull out a win, as Liverpool’s history in the league cup is staggering. Liverpool have only missed making the final once in the last eight times that they were in the semi-finals with the lead after the first leg. The Reds have beaten Stoke five times, and drawn once in the last six matches they have faced each other in this competition. The most disheartening stat of all is that Stoke have not won at Anfield since 1959 in any competition with 31 losses altogether over those years.

Capital One Wagering

Bet365 will be offering live in play betting for any punters that wish to bet on the action as it happens. Liverpool are huge favorites at 1.75, while Stoke are far behind at 5.25. An interesting bet could be made for choosing a goal scorer with Jordon Ibe scoring in his last two Cup appearances.

It will definitely be an incredible match and with pre-match and in play odds available, there is optimal chances to win lucrative cash too.