3 Key Battles That Will Decide Liverpool’s First Game At Anfield vs Leicester City

Liverpool and Leicester City have had a very similar start to the campaign, having won one match, drawn one and lost one, both the teams are on 4 points. They will square off against each other this weekend on Saturday when the defending champions travel to the newly renovated Anfield. Both the teams have been far from consistent till now, after the confidence-boosting win on day one against Arsenal, Liverpool lost all focus against the newly promoted Burnley and ended up losing 2-0. And just before the international break, they went to Tottenham and returned with the share of the spoils after earning a hard fought 1-1.

City, on the other hand, started off with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against the newly promoted Hull City. Following which they played a goalless draw against Arsenal and just before the international break, Ranieri’s men registered the first win of the season against Swansea. Leicester aren’t expected to repeat last year’s feat but they are expected to be closer to the top rather than bottom this season, however for that to happen, the manager will need to motivate his players, as they look deflated right now. Here are our top 3 individual battles for the game on Saturday.

James Milner versus Riyad Mahrez

This is one battle which could have a huge impact on the outcome of the match. Riyad Mahrez was excellent last season beating players at will, he will be up against Milner, who finds himself currently playing as a left-back. With Moreno struggling for form, Klopp has been forced to use Milner in that position. Though Milner has done well till now, dealing with Mahrez will be a completely different task. The Algerian has already opened his account for the season, therefore he will not be short of confidence.

Adam Lallana versus Marc Albrighton

If either of the two sides are going to win the match, they will need to get control of the midfield. For that purpose, the performance of both Lallana and Albrighton is very crucial. Lallana scored a last-gasp winner for England during the international break, therefore his confidence will be through the roof, while Albrighton is currently struggling to convince Claudio Ranieri that he is worth a place in the side. A good performance against Liverpool on Saturday

Sadio Mane versus Christian Fuchs

Sadio Mane has made an excellent start to his Liverpool career after making a move from Southampton to Anfield in the summer. His pace and directness is already a big threat to the teams facing Liverpool and on Saturday, it will be the responsibility of Fuchs to make sure that Mane doesn’t wreck havoc to Leicester City’s plans.