da bet esporte： Southampton are having a tough time of it at the moment, having not picked up a win in four matches, losing three of those. They host Liverpool on Wednesday night in a massive match that will go a long way to determining whether they will have a date at Wembley or not.
da 888： The EFL Cup semi-final promises to be an entertaining affair with Liverpool often opening up their games into an attacking toe-to-toe battle.
The Reds have been fielding a number of youngsters throughout the competition and for us, it’s something Southampton should try to do also. What better opportunity to see how your young players are progressing than to pit them against the best youth that Liverpool has to offer in a massive national semi-final?
A win would stop the rot in the current form and allow them to take a lead to Anfield and defend, something we know Puel’s side can do very well on their day.
Here are THREE young Southampton stars that we think can help the Saints to victory on Wednesday…
Harrison Reed
Harrison Reed has started in all of Southampton’s EFL Cup matches so far and particularly impressed away to Arsenal in the last round.
If he can do it at the Emirates Stadium, he can do it on Wednesday and deserves his chance to help his side reach the final. A midfield spoiler, he could be key to breaking up Liverpool’s forays forward and sparking counter-attacks of Southampton’s own.
Despite starting only one Premier League game this season he’s thought to have a bright future in the game with youth international caps at U-19 and U-20 level.
He’ll be eager and hungry to show what he can do after being substituted off at the hour mark during Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Norwich, too.
Sam McQueen
The versatile Sam McQueen has undergone a transformation under Claude Puel, with the Southampton manager utilising him in a left-back role rather than as a winger due to injury problems at the club.
He’s shone there on occasion but it was as a winger against Arsenal that he impressed in the last round.
Whether he plays in a defensive or attacking role, he deserves his spot in the side given he’s played a starring role in the last two games in the tournament.
His rise to the first-team this season has been dramatic – he made his Premier League debut in October and his European debut in the San Siro against Inter Milan just days later before a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. The 21-year old performed excellently on these occasions and if he can tap into that form it will be a big positive on Wednesday night.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Like the other two on this list Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a big reason why Southampton find themselves at this stage of the competition, with him having appeared in all three rounds so far.
He’s more established in Claude Puel’s team this season than both McQueen and Reed but is still developing as a player and a big occasion like this shouldn’t pass the young man by.
A physical presence in the middle of the park, he’s been excellent on his day in the Premier League this season, albeit perhaps not as consistent as fans would like to see.
That’s to be expected of a 21-year old, especially in his debut season in English football. Having already won major honours with Bayern Munich, notably starting in the German Cup final against Dortmund, he knows what it takes to be a winner and that could be a massive positive on Wednesday.