Match Betting (1x2)
Liverpool are the reigning champions of Europe, a moniker that they will hold until at least May next season when the 2020 Champions League final is played.
However, it will be an almighty achievement if they are to retain their crown and their latest European campaign began in a difficult fashion when the Reds were beaten 2-0 by Napoli.
Let’s not be too dramatic considering that Jurgen Klopp’s side also suffered a defeat in Naples last season, although there’s a bit of pressure on Liverpool coming into this clash against Salzburg.
We all know that Anfield generates a cauldron of noise for these European nights and that is reflected in the fact that Liverpool are trading at 1/4 to claim a maximum haul against the champions of Austria.
Perhaps they will comfortably oblige at this price, although they will be up against a team with little to lose and they began their Champions League group campaign with a brilliant 6-2 win over Genk.
It’s possible that the Belgian side will be the group’s whipping boys and they were powerless to prevent Salzburg running riot, with the visitors to Anfield trading at 9/1 with Paddy Power to pull off a shock victory.
The draw is a 5/1 chance with William Hill and we genuinely think that this game will be closer than the odds suggest. While Liverpool are enjoying a 100% start to the season, this encounter represents a different kind of test for the Premier League table toppers.
First Goalscorer
We’re going to start by looking at a Red Bull Salzburg player who is making massive waves this season. Erling Braut Haland is the son of former Leeds and Nottingham Forest player Alf-Inge Haland and the 19-year-old is pilfering goals at the moment.
The Norwegian has scored 14 goals already this season and there have been consecutive hat-tricks, with the striker bagging a hat-trick against Hartberg before turning on the style to score three more goals against Genk.
While we concede that Haland is only operating in the Austrian league and Genk were modest opponents, he could be a danger for the Liverpool defence and the youngster is 10/1 to score the opening goal of this game.
Aside from him, the top of the First Goalscorer market is dominated by Liverpool players and you can take your pick out of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
We tend to prefer Mane when it comes to home matches and the Senegal forward scored twice against Newcastle in a recent encounter, with the bookies offering 4/1 about the former Southampton man breaking the deadlock.
Salah is available at the same price, while Firmino has been getting among the goals and it literally comes down to who gets the best opening chance to score.
Asian Handicap
Until a recent 2-2 draw away to Linz, Red Bull Salzburg were enjoying a 100% record this season and they are comfortably the best team in Austria at the moment, having established a four-point gap over second-placed Wolfsberger.
Because Liverpool are trading at such a short price, we can get with the visitors on the Asian Handicap to make it a closer match than the Full Time Result odds suggest.
BetVictor have 3/4 about the visitors with a +2 goal handicap which means that you would get money back if Liverpool’s margin of victory is by two goals, while you will win if Salzburg lose by just one goal or land a draw or win.
Alternatively, perhaps this new team to the Champions League will be exposed by a Liverpool side who know the score when it comes to European football at Anfield, with Liverpool -2 trading at 5/4 with Unibet and that will be a good bet for those who think the home side will win by three goals or more.
Both Teams to Score
Can Liverpool keep a clean sheet against a team who have scored an unbelievable 42 goals in 9 games? That’s nearly an average of 5 goals per game and they only need to score once in order for the “Yes” option on BTTS to be triggered.
Naturally, the champions of Austria don’t meet the European champions in their own back yard every week, although we’re happy to back Yes at 6/10 with William Hill considering that the visitors are sure to put into place an offensive game plan.
We can be virtually certain that Liverpool will score. Therefore, it’s a simple case of working out whether the Reds will win to nil or alternatively win with both teams scoring.
Liverpool do have a strong defence and won’t care much for the scoring reputation of Salzburg, with “No” on the BTTS market trading at odds of 6/4.
Over / Under Goals
This could be a ridiculously high-scoring affair considering that we know Liverpool can score bundles of goals, while Salzburg have scored large quantities of goals in several matches this term. They have won 6-2 against Genk but also enjoyed winning scorelines of 7-2, 6-0, 5-2 and 5-0 in the Austrian Bundesliga.
This explains why Over 2.5 Goals is available at 1/3 with William Hill, while Over 3.5 Goals is available at 22/25 with Unibet and it’s rare to see that particular selection available at odds-on.
Over 4.5 Goals is trading at 41/20 with Unibet although we think that could definitely be on the cards given how offensive both teams are.
Correct Score
You can go for a high-scoring encounter when it comes to the Correct Score market, with a Liverpool 5-2 victory available at 40/1 and we can see the Reds proving to be too strong for their Austrian opponents over ninety minutes.
The Reds have conceded at home to Norwich, Newcastle and Arsenal this season, with 5-1 available at 22/1 and you could even go for a crazy-looking 6-2 triumph in favour of Liverpool at 100/1.