Udinese v Liverpool: Hosts capable of toppling Reds
Published:Liverpool travel to Udinese with their Europa League future in their hands; if they avoid defeat against the eliminated Italians then they’re through, assuming Young Boys fail to better their result in Makhachkala.
They’re as short as 1/4 to get a result in the double chance stakes, but should the hosts claim the spoils at the Stadio Friuli, which they’re priced at a generous 11/4 to achieve, Liverpool would exit the competition, irrespective of the Young Boys result.
When you consider that the Reds have lost 11 of their 24 clashes with Italian opposition this could be worth a punt.
The Bianconeri thumped Cagliari 4-1 last time out to halt a dire run of seven games without a win and their stuttering campaign has left them languishing in ninth in Serie A.
Despite their struggle for consistency, Francesco Guidolin’s men showed their class at Anfield in the corresponding fixture, coming from a goal down at half-time to win the game 3-2 and, in the evergreen Antonio Di Natale, they have a constant goal threat that the Reds must be wary of.
Whether the 35-year-old’s talents will be utilised with Udinese having nothing to play for remains to be seen, Di Natale remains 5/1 second-favourite to open the scoring in this one, however. He can also be backed at 6/4 to notch at any point in the game.
With defeat not an option there’s a chance that Brendan Rodgers will unleash some of his senior players in Udine. Luis Suarez has been restricted to just one start in the Europa League in a bid to keep him fresh for Premier League exploits, but he’s likely to be thrust into the action here.
It’s priced at 6/4 for the Uruguayan to score in a Reds win, while he’s a very short 16/1 to claim the match ball.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
