Liverpool vs. Leeds live score, updates, highlights from Premier League Wednesday match

By | February 23, 2022
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Liverpool has waited all season for an opportunity to pounce, and today is that moment as the Reds host Leeds United at Anfield.

The Reds have bided their time, with 16 points from a maximum of 18 over the last six matches, waiting for leaders Man City to falter. The Citizens did just that over the weekend, falling at the last second to Tottenham 3-2 and leaving Liverpool with a chance to further close the gap.

With a six-point margin between the clubs at the top of the table, Liverpool has a chance to cut that lead in half and move to within a single game of Man City.

MORE: Premier League standings & table races

The Reds face a wounded Leeds United side on a slide down the table, nearly sucked into the relegation battle. Sitting 15th in the table, Leeds is just five points above the drop zone. It appeared that Marcelo Bielsa had worked Leeds out of its doldrums with a pair of January wins over Burnley and West Ham, but since then the club has collected just a single point from its last four matches.

Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Liverpool vs. Leeds live score

  1H 2H Final
Liverpool 1 – –
Leeds 0 – –

Goals:
15th minute — LIV — Mohamed Salah (pen)

(All times Eastern)

23rd minute: CHANCE, Liverpool! Luis Diaz breaks through and heads on goal from a tight angle, and while he has help in the middle, he takes it himself, and Meslier makes a very good save down low with his left hand. Diaz’s pace saw him round Ayling with ease to create the chance. Leeds defense is leaky for a reason.

21st minute: Liverpool now looks the more likely side to score after the opener. It’s been a lackluster response from Leeds despite the bright early start. Goal seems to have pegged the visitors back. Mane ball for a streaking Robertson just too deep on another good Liverpool attack.

18th minute: Junior Firpo, the man in to replace Robin Koch, absolutely cleans out Fabinho on the touchline with a wild tackle that gets a rare emotion out of Martin Tyler. “Ohh!” says the stone-faced commentator as Firpo goes flying in. Blatant yellow card, which will be meaningful with Firpo to take on Mo Salah the rest of the way already on an early caution.

15th minute: GOAL! 1-0 Liverpool! Who else but Mo Salah, who scores from the spot! He sends Meslier the wrong way for his 18th goal of the Premier League season!

14th minute: PENALTY to Liverpool! Liverpool builds well again down the left and a cross by Diaz clips the arm of Stuart Dallas who has no argument. Dallas lept to block the cross, and while he did his best to keep his arms in, his right arm T-Rex’d and was outstretched enough to catch the cross. An incredibly soft way for Leeds to give away a penalty — it’s definitely the right call, but for the visitors’ bright start, it’s now a one-goal deficit.

9th minute: The Leeds press is unsettling Liverpool. The Reds have already lost possession 20 times in 54 passes. Leeds has six completed tackles already in the match, to a big zero for Liverpool.

Diaz continues to produce, however, and rips another shot. He’s averaging 4 shots a game in his (very short) time with Liverpool, and has two already today.

6th minute: What the…heck just happened? Alisson is extremely lucky not to have either conceded a penalty or a wide-open goal. He takes a heavy touch on a nothing back-pass, and Daniel James pounces. Alisson’s challenge is heavy, but somehow clean and the danger is cleared by Joel Matip. What a weird moment.

4th minute: Turnovers galore for both sides, and this game has started exactly how the neutrals hoped. Liverpool has a chance as Diaz cuts inside from the left and shoots off-balance, but the shot — which replays show to be well-placed towards the far corner — is blocked.

1st min: KICKOFF! We are under way!

Liverpool gets us started as Anfield serenades the Reds. Sadio Mane is the one to start up front, not Luis Diaz.

2:40 p.m.: Kickoff is nearly here, and Leeds knows while the opposition presents a tall task, the Whites need points. Badly.

2:20 p.m.: Liverpool media confirms no new injury for either Harvey Elliott or Joe Gomez, as both are coach’s decisions to leave out of the squad. Big chance for Curtis Jones ahead of both Elliott and Naby Keita.

1:48 p.m.: Lineups are in. Luis Diaz up front for Liverpool at striker with Firmino and Jota injured. Curtis Jones gets the start in midfield, with Harvey Elliott not appearing in the matchday squad.

For Leeds, Raphinha is back in the starting lineup, and Robin Koch is out as expected.

1:42 p.m.: Fans are just beginning to file in at Anfield with slightly over one hour until kickoff. There’s a slight drizzle as well. Lineups imminent.

1:29 p.m.: A callback to last year’s fixture between these two teams at Anfield, which was a blitz of a match, ending 4-3 on Mo Salah’s 88th minute winner. For the neutrals, let’s hope we get another barn burner of a game!

1:02 p.m.: If Leeds is to shock Liverpool, it will need to do something no team has done yet in 58 attempts.

12:45 p.m.: Two dribble masters match up, with Raphinha and Mohamed Salah sitting fifth and sixth in most dribbles this season in Premier League play.

Liverpool vs. Leeds lineups

On the whole, Liverpool’s squad is healthy, a big boost to the midfield as Thiago returns to the starting lineup. The Spaniard has been scintillating when healthy, but his fitness has been an ever-present concern. He starts alongside Curtis Jones who is selected over the in-form Harvey Elliott. Elliott does not appear in the matchday squad, and neither does Joe Gomez.

The only two players potentially missing out for the Reds both play a similar position, leaving Liverpool short on central strikers. Roberto Firmino went down in the weekend win over Norwich City and will be out “for a while” according to manager Jurgen Klopp. Diogo Jota missed out on that Norwich game with an ankle injury picked up in the Champions League. The extent of the damage has not yet been revealed.

That leaves Divock Origi as the lone natural center-forward available to Jurgen Klopp. Origi made his first league appearance since early December coming off the bench against Norwich City, but instead Klopp sticks with Luis Diaz to start up front. The Colombian is deputizing through the middle despite his more natural abilities on the left wing.

Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) — Robertson, Van Dijk, Matip, Alexander-Arnold – Thiago, Fabinho, Jones – Mane, Diaz, Salah.

Liverpool subs (9): Kelleher, Konate, Milner, Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Origi.

Leeds and its medical staff received plenty of criticism for its handling of the Robin Koch head injury against Manchester United, and while Marcelo Bielsa insisted it was the cut that forced him off eventually and not concussion symptoms, Koch is now almost certainly out for Wednesday. Diego Llorente is struggling with a hamstring injury, so Bielsa selects Junior Firpo over Jamie Shackelton, with Luke Ayling moving over to central defense.

Raphinha will likely be recalled to the front line after his substitute appearance against Manchester United.

MORE: American reportedly a candidate to replace Bielsa at Leeds

Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford, Sam Greenwood, and Liam Cooper are all long-term absentees, their injuries having a major impact on Leeds’ spotty season.

Leeds starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier  (GK)— Firpo, Ayling, Struijk, Dallas — Klich, Forshaw — Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison — James

Leeds subs (9): Klaesson, Cresswell, Shackleton, Bate, McCarron, Kenneh, Summerville, Gelhardt, Roberts.

How to watch Liverpool vs. Leeds

  • Date: Wednesday, Feb. 23
  • Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
  • USA TV Channel: — None —
  • USA Streaming: Peacock (subscription required)
  • Canada streaming: DAZN

USA: Wednesday’s match between Liverpool and Leeds United match is exclusively available on NBC streaming platform Peacock.

Canada: The Premier League in Canada is available exclusively live and on demand via DAZN.

Liverpool-Leeds betting lines, picks & prediction

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Liverpool is healthy and despite the absence of Diogo Jota will have plenty of firepower to wear Leeds down. Thiago is an expert against the press, and his availability will be a critical factor in the match.

Still, Klopp will be wary of how Leeds can pounce, as Manchester United found out over the weekend, and Liverpool’s midfield has known to make mistakes every now and then. Liverpool is unbeaten in the last 11 matches against Leeds across all competitions dating back to 2001, but the underdogs have found the back of the net in six of them.

The odds heavily favor Liverpool, so openings must be found elsewhere. Backing both teams to score at -115 isn’t a bad pick, with surprisingly good odds for a match in which each side can be expected to find the back of the net. Despite its four-match losing streak, Leeds managed over 1.0 expected goals (xG) in three of those games, with the attack only slumping big against Everton. In fact, Leeds has over 1.0 xG in nine of its last 11 league games.

There’s also value to be found in Luis Diaz finding the back of the net. Albeit a small sample size, the Colombian has averaged four shots in his first two Liverpool league games, with an excellent 0.12 xG per shot. Likely to be chosen for a center-forward role with Jota out, this is a great spot for Diaz against a leaky defense.

Picks: Both teams to score (-115), Luis Diaz anytime goalscorer (+130)

Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Leeds United

  • Moneyline: Liverpool -575 / Draw +750 / Leeds +1400
  • Spread: Liverpool -2.5 (+120) / Leeds +2.5 (-135)
  • O/U 3.5 total goals: Over -130 / Under +110
  • Both teams to score: Yes -115 / No -110

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