Liverpool vs. Swansea: Capital One Cup Betting Preview

Liverpool have had more than their share of struggles at Anfield over the past 12 months and could be tested yet again on Wednesday.

The Merseyside club host Swansea in the Capital One Cup and, while I expect them to book a place in the quarter-finals at the expense of the Welsh side, it might not be straightforward.

This evening’s clash represents the first opportunity for new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to tackle his former club but the Northern Irishman will be desperate to bring Swansea’s run in the competition to a halt.

Liverpool have toiled domestically this season, winning just twice in the Premier League, against Norwich and Reading, and their form on home soil remains a mystery.

It is just three wins in the English top flight in 2012 at Anfield and Liverpool’s lack of goals in front of their adoring faithful is alarming.

On only four occasions in their last 21 Premier League matches at the famous stadium have Liverpool found the net more than once and this corresponding fixture ended goalless when Swansea came to Anfield and left with a point last November.

Defensively there have been signs of improvement of late, three home clean sheets in a row, but those same trio of matches have seen Liverpool net just twice and they sorely lack a goal scorer.

Luis Suarez, fresh from an excellent display in the Merseyside derby, remains their leading man but the Uruguayan may not even feature tonight and Swansea could frustrate their hosts.

It’s been a difficult start for Michael Laudrup at the Liberty Stadium having replaced Wednesday’s opposite number in the summer but Swansea still have more than enough about them to survive and are usually difficult to beat.

They were unfortunate not to leave Eastlands with a point on Saturday evening, succumbing to Carlos Tevez’s second-half strike, and are well organised enough to keep Liverpool at bay.

I think chances will be at a premium in this last-16 clash and am very surprised to see over 2.50 goals priced at around the 1.65 mark.

That certainly makes the 2.30 on offer about the 90 minutes producing two goals or fewer of interest and I’ll be having a small play on what looks a tricky night of punting.

1pt Back Liverpool vs. Swansea Under 2.50 Goals @ 2.30 (various)