Match Preview - Liverpool vs. Middlesbrough

August 22, 2008

The Reds’ first home game of the season is against Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough side, who travel to Anfield on the back of an impressive 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day.

Liverpool veteran Sami Hyypia will not be in the squad (hurrah!), having picked up an injury whilst on international duty with Finland in midweek. Even better news is the return of Ryan Babel to the squad, with his Olympic adventures with the Netherlands now over. However Javier Mascherano is still in Beijing, as he is competing in the gold-medal match against Nigeria.

Manager Rafael Benitez will be hoping for a much improved performance than last Saturday, when the Reds struggled to a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. He will also be hoping to see the partnership between Fernando Torres and new signing Robbie Keane develop, who have yet to gel together as a potent strikeforce.

In this fixture last season, Fernando Torres scored a superb hat-trick, his second of three that season. I cannot see the Middlesbrough defence coping with him for this fixture either, despite their solid performance last Saturday against Spurs. I would be very pleased if Robbie Keane could get on the scoresheet in front of the Kop; we need to reap the rewards for the steep £19.3 million we spent to secure his services.

Prediction: Liverpool 3 - 1 Middlesbrough - Middlesbrough to score a shock first goal, Torres to equalise on the half hour mark, Gerrard to put the Reds into the lead early in the second half, and Keano to get his first goal for the club in the last ten minutes.

Prediction

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