After all the excitement surrounding his appointment, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have spent much of the last few days asking for time to implement his own system.
Today they face a Southampton side ninth in the Premier League and who have only won one of the their last 11 games away from a home.
Let’s get straight into the team news, starting with the home side:
Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Benteke, Firmino, Allen, Ibe, Randall
And Southampton:
Subs: K. Davis (GK), Yoshida, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Ramírez, Juanmi, Caulker.
Hopefully this game will be better than the Manchester derby. Not long to kick-0ff now.
And Southampton get us under-way.
Pelle was in a great position there for Southampton but Tadic couldn’t find him with a cross from the left and Mignolet deals with it comfortably.
Philippe Coutinho has Liverpool’s first chance but Cédric Soares does really well to get across and block his effort.
From the resulting corner, Emre Can tries to wrap his foot around a shot but it hits the side netting.
Wanyama is adjudged to have brought down Origi in the middle of the pitch but nothing comes from the free-kick.
A tame effort from Adam Lallana is, technically, the first shot on target but the former Saint never looked like threatening his former employers with that effort.
Decent enough start to the game with Liverpool slightly the stronger of the two.
Really nice work in tight space by Mane wins Southampton another corner. The home side deal with it quite comfortably, however.
Mane really should have found Pelle as Southampton attack Liverpool on the break but Senegal international picks the wrong pass at the end of the move.
Southampton have been the better side for the last 10 minutes or so but, again, without really troubling the goalkeeper.
The intensity we saw in Liverpool’s opening periods under Klopp so far not as prevalent in this game.
Steven Davis fluffs the best chance of the game when the ball falls to him around the Liverpool penalty spot. The Northern Ireland international really should have opened the scoring there.
Couthino gets on the end of Liverpool’s first attack in an age but the Brazilian fires his shot over.
Milner with a great run for Liverpool, skipping past a couple of Southampton defender but his shot goes just wide of the right hand upright.
Coutinho plays a lovely ball for Lallana but the latter just can’t get his feet out from under him and the chance goes a-begging. That really should have been 1-0 Liverpool.
Seconds later, Can misses with a relatively easy header.
Again a poor touch stops a goal-scoring opportunity. This time it’s Mane who fails to control a great through ball after a brilliantly timed run.
Really intricate play from Southampton but Bertrand’s final delivery is poor which probably sums up this game perfectly so far.
Southampton should be ahead as Van Dijk misses with a free header from four yards out.
Liverpool struggle to deal with the resulting corner but, eventually they get it away.
Alberto Moreno fires Liverpool’s best chance over the bar.
There’s been some decent build-up play in this game but the quality of the finishing has been lacking.
Half-time — Liverpool 0-0 Southampton
And odd first half. Both sides industrious enough in their build-up play but the quality in the final third has been practically non-existent.
Chritian Benteke is on for Liverpool as the Origi gets the hook from Klopp at half-time.
Better tempo from Liverpool to open this second half and a Benteke header is cleared off the line.
The home side have their fourth successive corner…
Best period of possession Liverpool have had in the game and they look to have worked an opening but Milner is offside.
It is, however, much better in the second half from the home side than we saw in the first.
Down the other end, a well worked Southampton free-kick leads to a corner for the Saints. Mignolet deals with it comfortably, however.
Liverpool definitely the better side this half and Moreno fires a pass across the area but nobody in a red shirt takes a risk on it.
Moreno heavily involved at both ends of the field in a matter of minutes as he blazes a shot into the Kop before making a potentially goal-saving tackle down the other.
Half an hour left, and we’re still scoreless.
Adam Lallana gets himself into space in front of the Southampton goal but can’t find the target.
James Ward-Prowse comes on in place of Tadic as Southampton make their first chance.
We’ve descended back into the error-ridden football that was the trademark of the first half.
Roberto Firmino replaces former Southampton man Lallana as the home side make their second change.
Can’s shot flies over as his ability falls well short of his ambition. Decent build-up work between Firmino and Benteke beforehand mind.
A half-chance for Pelle on the edge of the Liverpool area comes to nothing.
GOAL! – Liverpool 1-0 Southampton
A very good ball in from Milner is met with a really powerful header by Benteke and Liverpool grab the lead.
Mane has a chance after a good first touch but the angle is slightly against him and his shot goes high and wide.
James Milner picks up the game’s first yellow card for a late challenge on Bertrand.
He’ll miss Liverpool’s League Cup game with Bournemouth.
GOAL! – Liverpool 1 – 1 Southampton
Needless free-kick given away by Milner leads to a goal. Mane can’t miss from a yard out who scores his fifth goal in five appearances. Really, really sloppy from Liverpool.
He only came on at half-time but Christian Benteke has been named man of the match. That says a lot about this game.
End to end stuff here as both sides go looking for a winner. Benteke and Firmino almost combine for Liverpool but have to settle for a corner.
RED CARD! – Mane picks up his second yellow of the game. Stupid tackle when on a card and the goal-scorer is off.
Full-Time – Liverpool 1-1 Southampton
A third draw in as many games but you have to think Liverpool win this game if Benteke is on from the start.
What did you make of the game? Let us know in the comment section below.
And that’s it from us.
Thanks as always for joining us.
