Unstoppable Mohamed Salah can fire Liverpool past Tottenham in Carabao Cup semi-final
Salah will be too much for Spurs to handle.
Arne Slot hit the ground running as Liverpool manager and has not stopped since taking charge at Anfield, and can spark exuberant celebrations on the Kop by leading the holders to next month’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
The Reds will have a sense of injustice heading into the second leg of their semi-final with Tottenham as they trail 1-0 after Lucas Bergvall scored a late winner in the first encounter almost a month ago.
They were left seething that the Swedish teenager had not been sent off for a second yellow card just minutes earlier as they suffered their first defeat in 25 matches, stretching back to mid-September when they were beaten 1–0 at home by Nottingham Forest
Since then they have won 13 of 15 games at Anfield and have scored at least twice in all of them, meaning they can advance to the showpiece final on Sunday, March 16 if they keep a clean sheet against Tottenham.
That may not be an easy task, however, as Ange Postecoglou’s side have scored in each of their last ten matches and have reached the last four the hard way by beating Manchester City and Manchester United.
Spurs have played in three finals in this competition since winning it in 2008, which was the last time they lifted a trophy, and they will be hoping their defence will be strengthened by classy defender Micky van de Ven, who has been nursed back to health after suffering a hamstring strain at the end of November.
Liverpool, the defending champions after claiming the trophy for a tenth time last season, beat Spurs 6-3 in London just before Christmas and more goals are expected on this occasion with over 4.5 goals 17/10 with bet365.
A home win by more than two goals is 7/5 with the same firm, Paddy Power and William Hill, while both teams to score looks nailed on at 8/13 with bet365, Coral and Betfred.
The unstoppable Mohamed Salah is 10/3 with bet365 to open the scoring and 41/50 with Unibet to put the ball in the Tottenham net at any time while Dejan Kulusevski is big at 11/2 with Paddy Power and Betfair to reply for the visitors.
• Scottie Scheffler can regain the Phoenix Open trophy he won in 2022 and 2023 after returning from a hand injury to finish tied ninth at Pebble Beach last week. The world No.1 is short at no bigger than 14/5 with bet365 and Sky Bet, though, so let’s go each-way with Sam Burns at 20/1 with Sky Bet, Sepp Straka 35/1 Betfair, Nick Taylor 50/1 with William Hill and bet365 and Brian Harman at 150/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power.
• Norwich, Stockport, Lincoln and Wimbledon form Saturday’s Football League acca.
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