Tottenham vs Liverpool simulated to predict Carabao Cup semi-final clash
Liverpool will look to return to winning ways later today when they face Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. A 2-2 draw at Anfield against rivals Manchester United on on Sunday saw the Reds fail to capitalise on Arsenal dropping points in the Premier League title race.
An FA Cup clash against Accrington Stanley awaits Arne Slot's side at the weekend, but for now, all focus is on the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool travelling to the capital to face Spurs this evening.
The two teams last met just over two weeks ago in the Premier League, with the Reds impressing as they won 6-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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So can Liverpool get off to a winning start in the Carabao Cup semi-final? Let's take a look...
We simulated Tottenham vs Liverpool to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Tottenham could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
We predict that Liverpool could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Mac Allister, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Liverpool were on top in the opening stages in north London, putting in a much better performance than they did in the first half against Man United. Attacking-wise, the Reds were too powerful for Spurs, with Slot's side going a goal ahead after just nine minutes.
As the hosts played out the back, a misplaced pass by Radu Dragusin fell to the feet of Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box, with the Egyptian controlling the ball fantastically before driving a pass into the middle. Luis Diaz picked up possession before quickly firing toward goal, and his shot was a good one, nestling in the far corner to put Liverpool 1-0 up.
Just four minutes later, Liverpool were gifted a chance to make it 2-0, with Nunez being brought down by Brandon Austin as he tried to go around the goalkeeper. Salah stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he curled his shot into the top left corner to double the Reds' lead early on.
Spurs couldn't deal with Liverpool's attacking threat, and just before the break, the Reds grabbed a third to give themselves a fantastic lead.
Alexis Mac Allister stole the ball off Yves Bissouma to kick-start an attack, with the Argentine launching a ball to Salah on the right. The winger surged at his man before crossing towards Nunez in the box, but he cleverly left the ball for Harvey Elliott instead who placed his shot past Austin for 3-0.
Similar to the last meeting between Liverpool and Spurs, Slot's side got a bit complacent after the restart, allowing the hosts to grab a goal just after the hour mark.
Brennan Johnson got the wrong side of Kostas Tsimikas to latch onto Dejan Kulusevski's through ball, and a smart finish saw the Welshman fire past Caoimhin Kelleher at the near post to pull a goal back.
After conceding, the Reds became much more assured at the back, seeing out the victory to give them a healthy lead going into the second leg at Anfield next month.
