Leeds v Liverpool Tips April 17

This season was never meant to be so difficult for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Last year’s runners-up aren’t in the running for a trophy and they may not even finish in the top five.

Tonight they take on Javi Gracia’s Leeds United, who are fighting away at the other end of the table and seek to pick up crucial points which would give them a big boost over their relegation battlers. Football expert Joe Crann takes a closer look at tonight’s only Premier League fixture.

The form guide

Neither team is in a particularly good place at the moment, but surprisingly it’s 16th-placed Leeds who have managed to pick up more points recently than their eighth-placed counterparts.

Liverpool may be heavy favourites to win (1.65), but they’re on the brink of going six games without a victory for the first time in Klopp’s time at the club - and their away form suggests that they may well have a hard time of things at Elland Road.

Leeds may have been dealt a heavy loss in their last home game, but their form on their own turf has been reasonable throughout the season – they have lost only five in the league all season when playing in LS11.

The positive for Liverpool is that they showed grit and quality in their fightback against Arsenal and, if they can perform anywhere near that level, they should be prolific against a leaky defence. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in Leeds’ last five games, as well as Liverpool’s last three, so that selection is worthy of inclusion on your betslip.

Absentees and goalscorers

Stuart Dallas and Tyler Adams are still out of action for the hosts, while Alisson Becker and Ibrahima Konate are concerns for Klopp going into the fixture. Stefan Bajcetic (adductor), Naby Keita (muscle) and Calvin Ramsay (knee) are all sidelined for Liverpool and won’t feature at all.

Good news for the visitors, though, is that Luis Diaz could well make his long-awaited return from injury, and it wouldn’t be too crazy to see him make an immediate impact if he gets on the pitch. You can back him at 2.82 to score anytime in the match.

Darwin Nunez, who hasn’t had the season that many expected, is still the favourite to find the back of the net though (2.2), followed by Bobby Firmino (2.32). Patrick Bamford (3.05) is seemingly the most likely Leeds scorer.

Potential outcomes

Both sides are desperate for points. Liverpool can close the gap on fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with success on Monday night, while Leeds have the opportunity to move five points clear of the dropzone with a shock victory.

A point would be much more useful to the latter than the former, but I expect Liverpool to come out on top in a game full of goals.