Liverpool vs. Southampton: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Liverpool begin their Carabao Cup journey on home soil in midweek, as Southampton visit Anfield in the third round of the competition.

These two teams met three times last season amid the Saints’ dire 2024–25 campaign, facing off in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals in addition to their two Premier League meetings. Oddly, Southampton played the eventual champions tough in all three games but were beaten in each.

They’ve since hired Will Still to help them return to the top flight on a stronger footing, but the impressive former Reims and Lens coach has endured a tough start to life on the south coast. A 3–1 defeat to Hull City at the weekend leaves Southampton 19th in the Championship and without a league win since Gameweek 1.

Liverpool, on the contrary, have exclusively tasted victory at the start of the new season, although Arne Slot’s side are yet to produce a convincing 90 minutes. It looked like they’d buck that trend in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, racing into a 2–0 lead, but they allowed Everton a route back into the contest and were forced to cling on to three points.

The Reds were beaten Carabao Cup finalists last time out, losing to Newcastle United at Wembley to conclude one of their very few disappointing weeks in 2024–25. However, no team has lifted this trophy more than Liverpool (ten times). Southampton, meanwhile, are two-time runners-up but have never got their hands on the silverware.

Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the Merseyside derby.

What Time Does Liverpool vs. Southampton Kick Off?

Location: Liverpool, England
Stadium: Anfield
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 23
Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Referee: Thomas Bramall

Liverpool vs. Southampton Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

Liverpool: 4 wins
Southampton: 0 wins
Draws: 1

Last meeting: Liverpool 3–1 Southampton (March 8, 2025) - Premier League

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch Liverpool vs. Southampton on TV, Live Stream

Liverpool Team News

16-year-old Rio Ngumoha should make his first start of the season. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Slot could make 11 changes to the team that started Saturday’s derby, and the Liverpool boss will almost certainly include academy starlets Rio Ngumoha, who’s already made a distinct impression at the senior level, and Trey Nyoni in Tuesday night’s XI.

Alexander Isak appeared off the bench against Everton, and could get another hour under his belt here as he continues to build up his match fitness. Fellow summer arrivals Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni may also earn starts.

Slot will rest the Reds’ heavy-hitters, like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, but only Stefan Bajcetic will miss the cup tie through injury.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Southampton

Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Southampton (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Leoni, Gomez, Robertson; Nyoni, Endo; Chiesa, Jones, Ngumoha; Isak.

Southampton Team News

Midweek on Merseyside ⏩

🏆 @Carabao_Cup pic.twitter.com/hKGTySEzZK
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) September 22, 2025

The visitors primarily played with a three-man defence last season, and Still has shuffled between configurations at the start of his tenure. A back three does seem likely here, however, given their recent form with a four.

While the Saints have the chance to pull off an almighty upset at Anfield, they’ll likely rotate from Saturday’s defeat at Hull, with Still potentially pulling the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Shea Charles out of his starting XI.

Samuel Edozie is set to miss out with a knock, while Welington is nursing an ankle injury. Flynn Downes could return to the fold after recovering from an illness which kept him out of Saturday’s game.

Southampton Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

Southampton predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (3-5-2): McCarthy; Edwards, Wood, Stephens; Roerslev, Fraser, Downes, Jander, Manning; Stewart, Archer.

Liverpool vs. Southampton Score Prediction

Southampton’s competitive tussles with the champions were odd quirks in their otherwise dire 2024–25 campaign, and the start of the new season suggests Still has plenty of work to do if he’s to remove the scars from last season‘s horrors.

They have nothing to lose on Tuesday night, and such a mentality could render them a tricky opponent for the rotated Reds.

There have been a couple of notable upsets in the competition already, but an out-of-sorts Southampton aren’t going to be making history here. Liverpool will triumph with some comfort.