Prediction & odds for the game: Everton (5/1) v Liverpool (11/20)

When: Sunday, 21st June @ 7pm K.O

Where: Goodison Park

Liverpool will attempt to move one step closer to being crowned Champions of England when they face Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Everton

Everton fans have been through their fair share of struggles over the last decade or so, and in the last few years, it looked more likely that they’d drop down into the Championship than qualify for Europe. Now, though, Carlo Ancelotti is at the helm, and it feels like he’s been able to breathe new life into this club. Whether or not they’re at a point where they can mount a serious challenge for the top six this season is a different matter, but either way, you can bet they’ll ready and raring to go against their rivals from across the city.

Prior to the break things were looking pretty inconsistent for Everton, as they ended January with a 2-2 draw against Newcastle. They bounced straight back with a 3-2 triumph over Watford and another big win over Crystal Palace, but they proceeded to fall 3-2 to Arsenal in the league. They then drew 1-1 with Manchester United before being humbled by Chelsea at the start of March.

Liverpool

Manchester City’s win over Arsenal means that Liverpool cannot win the title at Goodison Park, but they can certainly take a huge step towards doing so. Jurgen Klopp knows how long this club has waited for a league title, and he’ll be doing everything in his power to make sure it’s wrapped up as quickly as possible. They’re the clear favourites heading into this game, and with three months of rest under their belt, they’ll be dying to prove why they’re considered to be one of the best teams in world football.

Despite being invincible for most of the campaign, the Reds really struggled prior to lockdown. They were knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 and 3-2 to Atletico Madrid, they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea, and they were battered by Watford who broke their unbeaten streak in the league. They did manage to beat West Ham and Bournemouth, but those victories were far from convincing.

Conclusion

We don’t think this game is going to be as entertaining as everyone probably wants it to be, with Liverpool dictating the pace of play and rarely giving the Toffees a sniff. We can’t imagine they’ll be too gung-ho, either, with Klopp wanting his side to really ease their way into the game. Everton will defend well, but against a club like Liverpool, it just isn’t going to be enough. We think it’ll be a narrow win for the visitors to set up their title coronation against Crystal Palace.

We don’t feel like it’s going to be a goalfest, either, which is why we’re backing the under 2.5 goals market.

Verdict: Back the away win at odds of 11/20 and the under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 6/5. (All odds are taken from bet365).

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You can bet on the derby over at the betting page, or you can choose another game by visiting the soccer predictions page.