Toulouse vs Liverpool predictions: Gakpo can star for Klopp's men

Steve Davies

Spotlight

Jurgen Klopp's side have won their first three Europa League games this season

- Liverpool are top of Group E, Toulouse are third
- The Reds thrashed Toulouse 5-1 at Anfield two weeks ago
- Recommended bet: Cody Gakpo First or Last Scorer - Goalscorer Premier

Liverpool are making light work of qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages as Jurgen Klopp's men head to Toulouse looking for a fourth straight win.

The Reds' chief has made wholesale changes for each Group E contest but it has not halted their progress, with Toulouse still smarting from their 5-1 hammering at Anfield a fortnight ago.

Team news

Klopp will again draft in squad members with keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, centre-back Jarell Quansah and midfielder Wataru Endo among those expecting call-ups.

Wataru Endo scored against Toulouse at home earlier in the group

Klopp will not deviate from his 4-3-3 set-up and will still have at least two international stars in attack, probably Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo.

Thiago Alcantara and Andy Robertson are still out injured.

Toulouse's big summer signing, talented Dutch winger Ibrahim Cissoko, came off the bench on Sunday in the 2-1 loss to Le Havre, his first minutes since his £3m transfer.

Whether Cissoko, just back from a broken foot, is risked by Carles Martinez is another matter. Another winger, Zakaria Aboukhlal, is out for the season.

The stats

Toulouse have won just two of their last 13 matches. One of those was a 1-0 triumph in this competition over LASK, who are bottom of Group E.

The French side have not trailed at half-time of any of their last eight competitive home matches.

Liverpool have scored in all 16 competitive games this season — the last time they failed to find the net was a 0-0 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League in April.

Both teams have scored in all but four of their 16 fixtures this season.

The latest Toulouse vs Liverpool odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Liverpool, licking their wounds after dropping crucial Premier League points at Luton on Sunday, are unlikely to be quite so wasteful at Toulouse in the Europa League.

Two weeks ago these sides met at Anfield and a game that could have been tight when Thijs Dalling cancelled out Jota's opener, turned into a romp, the Reds winning 5-1 to all but book qualification into the knockout rounds.

Liverpool had 20 shots and 63% possession and even allowing for several team changes, still ultimately breezed to victory.

Away from home the challenge is inevitably a little bit harder. However, Toulouse are struggling in Ligue 1, sitting just a point above the relegation play-off place.

Since that drubbing at Anfield they have been beaten 3-0 at Montpellier and 2-1 at home to Le Havre.

Sunday's trip to high-flying Lille is arguably more important but with four points on the board after a 1-1 draw at Union Saint-Gilloise and a 1-0 win over LASK, they are right in the mix to make the next stage alongside the Reds.

Even with the changes Klopp will inevitably make the Premier League side look too strong and one player who goes fresher than most is Gakpo, who is just back from a lay-off.

The Dutch ace started — and scored in — the 2-1 win at Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last week and seems set start at Toulouse after coming off the bench against Luton.

He could well be the catalyst for another comfortable win, while it is also possible the forward could wrap things up with the final goal of the night.

Back Gakpo to score first or last at 15/8 with LiveScore Bet.