Isak the dangerman for Newcastle. — AP
AFTER the painful exit from the Champions League midweek, Liverpool will need to get their heads back in the game when they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao League Cup final tomorrow.
Having been one of the favourites to win the Champions League earlier, the Reds were given a reality check by a relentless Paris St Germain side that gave them no quarters in both legs of the 16th round tie of the tournament.
The defeat to the French league champions left more than bruised pride, as Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both forced to leave the field.
While Arne Slot has allayed fears that Konate was only exhausted and not injured, it is still a concern whether the French defender can still play another intensive match without risking further injury.
Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, will definitely be out of the match at Wembley Stadium.
It will be intriguing to see whether Slot, who has rotated his players before in previous matches, will take a chance tomorrow in fielding a similar lineup that faced PSG.
Most of the players who featured midweek were stretched to their limits, having to play in extra time before being ousted in the penalty shoot-out.
Virgil van Dijk will most certainly be leading the team out, but as to who will partner him in the heart of defence remains to be seen.
If Slot chooses not to risk Konate, then the obvious choice will be Wataru Endo who is no stranger to the position, having played there at his previous clubs.
With both Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley unavailable, the void at right back should be filled by Jarell Quansah.
Caoimhín Kelleher, hero for Liverpool in the League Cup finals in 2022 and 2024, should be in goal ahead of Alisson Becker.
The midweek loss will still hurt Liverpool, and it’s unclear how it will affect them mentally.
Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones, who both missed their penalties against PSG, will be desperate to redeem themselves.
Mohamed Salah, who was in tears after the exit, will also want to banish the blues with a better performance.
On paper, Liverpool, who are top of the Premier League and on course to win their 20th league title to equal Manchester United’s, have been tagged as favourites.
Of the 189 matches Liverpool faced against Newcastle in all competitions, the Reds won 94 times and lost 50 times.
Liverpool are also unbeaten in the last 10 matches against the Magpies, having won seven times and drawn thrice.
The last time Newcastle beat Liverpool was in a league match in 2015. The scorers on that days were Martin Skrtel (own goal) and Georginio Wijnaldum, who switched to Liverpool the following year.
These sides have met twice this season, which included the thrilling 3-3 draw at St James’ Park in December and the 2-0 win by the Reds at Anfield.
But being a cup final, it can always swing both ways.
The Merseyside team have at times looked quite wobbly, so this could be something that Eddie Howe could look to exploit to inflict more pain against Liverpool.
Although they are unable to string up a stellar run of results, Newcastle, currently sixth in the Premier League table, are not pushovers.
On their best days, they beat the likes of third-placed Nottingham Forest and Arsenal in both legs of the League Cup semi-finals.
However, they could also face defeat from teams ranked lower.
Last month, a struggling Manchester City team decisively defeated them 4-0.
With injuries to a few players and Anthony Gordon serving a three-match suspension, Newcastle’s line-up should be the same one that defeated West Ham United 1-0 in a league match earlier this week.
Even without Gordon, the Magpies still have their talisman in Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy to torment the Reds’ defence.
Howe could even look to use the energy of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali to try and harass Liverpool in the middle of the park.
Newcastle had come close to winning the EFL Cup in 2023 but were defeated by Man United.
They will undoubtedly strive to secure their first significant trophy since 1969, when they emerged victorious in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the antecedent of the UEFA Europa League.
For Howe and his team, there is no better time and opportunity than the final to pick up silverware, knowing that they hold a slight advantage over Liverpool with their players being well-rested and having had more time to prepare.
