Liverpool v Stoke: Reds’ scoring streak to end against Potters

Liverpool may have thrilled Kopites and neutrals alike with their 5-4 win over Norwich at the weekend but the goal-scoring heroics are unlikely to continue against Stoke.

The Reds host the Potters in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday and history suggests this match will be harder fought and lower scoring than the nine-goal humdinger against the Canaries.

Liverpool ran out 1-0 winners in the first leg, meaning six of the last 10 meetings between these two sides has yielded less than two goals.

With under 1.5 goals available at 21/10 there could be plenty of people tempted to back another low scoring affair this time around.

However, with Liverpool smashing five past Norwich last time out and two of the last 10 meetings producing seven or more goals – Stoke’s 6-1 win in May last year and Liverpool’s 5-3 victory in 2014 – it could pay to take advantage of some special markets Ladbrokes has set up for the game.

Anyone who thinks there will be exactly nine goals in this game can get odds of 250/1, while it’s 350/1 that these two sides combine to score 10 or more.

At shorter odds but with a better chance of obliging, the bookmaker has also priced up Stoke to score directly from a corner (20/1), Liverpool to come from behind and win (10/1) and Liverpool to score an injury-time winner (12/1).

Both sides go into the tie in similar form with Liverpool wining four and drawing one of their last five home games in the League Cup, and Stoke winning all of their last five on the road

The Reds have lost just two of the last 10 meetings and as such are priced as 2/7 favourites, while Stoke can be backed at 13/5.

But with little to separate the sides the special markets could be the way to go.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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