Mark Lawrenson has boldly predicted West Bromwich Albion’s game with Liverpool to end as a 1-1 draw when the sides meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
The BBC Sports pundit revealed that as West Brom have nothing to lose, Darren Moore’s side will be able to throw everything they’ve got at the Reds.
“Liverpool play Roma in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday but I don’t think Jurgen Klopp will make too many changes with that game in mind,” said Lawrenson in his predictions for BBC Sports.
“This is a much tougher match for the Reds than it might have been a few weeks ago, because I can imagine West Brom thinking they will have a real go at them – and they have got nothing to lose.”
The Baggies may be bottom of the Premier League going into this game, but Lawrenson backs up his claim that Moore’s side will be able to get a result on Saturday, by pointing to the club’s recent results.
“I don’t think anyone saw West Brom’s win over Manchester United coming, but it means caretaker manager Darren Moore has taken four points from his two games in charge,” stated the BBC Sports pundit.
“Is there such a thing as player power?
“Absolutely, and it would appear that some of the Baggies players were not playing for former manager Alan Pardew.”
The Reds have already suffered a surprise defeat courtesy of the Baggies this season, as WBA defeated Jurgen Klopp’s side 3-2 to eliminate them from the FA Cup in January.
OPINION
The Baggies may have beaten the Reds once already this season, but it’s still bold for Lawrenson to predict that the Reds won’t win Saturday’s game. Klopp’s team have been in fantastic form all season, and everything points to them being able to beat WBA. While it’s true that the Reds have a very important game in Europe against AS Roma on Tuesday, they won’t drop the ball in the league. The Merseyside giants have worked too hard to climb to third in the table to take their eyes off the ball now. The Reds look likely to qualify for next season’s Champions League through their league position, but they still need a few more points to confirm their top-four finish.