Liverpool vs LASK predictions: Reds well set to qualify
- Liverpool will qualify if they win on Thursday
- LASK have lost both of their away games in Europa League Group E
- Recommended bet: Liverpool to win and both teams to score
A win or draw for Liverpool on Thursday will see them qualify from Europa League Group E with a game to spare and they will expect to get the job done against Austrian side LASK.
The Reds won their first three games of the competition but came unstuck earlier this month when they went down 3-2 in Toulouse.
Toulouse can also qualify with a game to spare by beating Union SG and the group has been closer than was expected when the draw was announced.
A comfortable win against Die Schwarz-Weissen will ease any nerves and leave Liverpool knowing a victory at Union on December 14 will seal top spot in the pool.
Team news
Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Diogo Jota (muscle) will miss out for Liverpool and face spells on the sidelines after suffering injuries in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
Alisson's deputy Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal both on Thursday and against Fulham on Sunday.
Kostas Tsimikas will continue at left-back as Andy Robertson recovers from shoulder surgery, while Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf) are also absent.
LASK will be without Ebrima Darboe due to an unspecified issue. Philipp Wiesinger is also out and Ail Taoui is a long-term absentee with a cruciate ligament injury.
Illness meant Sascha Horvath and Rene Renner missed Saturday's 1-0 win over WSG Tirol but both are expected to recover in time for the trip to Anfield.
The stats
Liverpool have won three out of their four Europa League games, scoring a joint-tournament high of 12 goals.
They have beaten both Union SG and Toulouse at home and have won all nine of their competitive games at Anfield this season. Their last defeat at the ground came in February when they lost 5-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has scored in both of their home European games this season and also assisted Luis Diaz in the reverse fixture.
LASK have lost away to both Toulouse and Union SG and their only Group E victory came at home, defeating Les Unionistes 3-0 earlier this month.
Their five goals in this competition have come through different scorers, with Florian Flecker, Moses Usor, Horvath, Maksym Talovierov and Robert Zulj all finding the net.
Prediction
The defeat to Toulouse was perhaps a wake-up call for Liverpool after being relatively untroubled in their first Europa League campaign since 2015-16.
Life has been awkward at times, though, conceding first in the reverse game before cruising to a 3-1 victory at Raiffeisen Arena.
Klopp's preference for rotating his regulars and attempting to blend them with some of the club's future stars has led to early uncertainty in games and LASK will look to make the most of any nerves their hosts display in front of their home crowd.
Thomas Sageder's side could well get on the scoresheet but much like in the original game in Linz, the Reds should have too much.
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