Liverpool must turn their attention to the Premier League on Saturday and bounce back when they face Crystal Palace.
After going 2-0 up against Real Madrid on Tuesday night in what was setting up to be an Anfield classic, Liverpool conceded five goals without responding, losing 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie. An extremely tough pill to swallow for Jurgen Klopp's side, but the Reds must return to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to the capital to take on Palace.
Prior to the Champions League defeat, Liverpool beat Everton and Newcastle in impressive performances, and Klopp will be hoping for another big win on Saturday. The first meeting between these two sides earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 draw at Anfield, with Darwin Nunez picking up a red card.
READ MORE: Ibrahima Konate hands Liverpool major boost after injury absence
READ MORE: Bukayo Saka makes Arsenal future decision amid Liverpool 'transfer interest'
So, can the Reds rediscover their top form when they face Palace on Saturday? We simulated the clash to find out.
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool score predicted by simulation
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the Magpies could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Guaita; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Doucoure, Lokonga; Olise, Ayew, Schlupp; Mateta.
We predict that Liverpool could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Keita, Bajcetic; Salah, Firmino, Nunez.
The Reds started on the front foot in south London, with Nunez and Roberto Firmino both having great chances to open the scoring, but poor finishes saw the chances go begging. The first half was dominated by Liverpool who were just missing that instinctive touch in the final third, but against the run of play, it was Palace who went ahead after 53 minutes.
Michael Olise skipped past Andrew Robertson on the right before hooking a cross back into the box, and as Alisson came to claim, the 'keeper spilled the ball into the path of Jean-Philippe Mateta. The striker pounced on the loose ball and fired into an empty net to put the hosts ahead.
It was a poor error from Alisson, and all of a sudden, the Reds needed two. Liverpool picked themselves up and continued to look for a goal, but a mix of good goalkeeping and bad misses left the Reds frustrated in front of goal.
Salah had a good chance to draw level in the 84th minute when he cut onto his left and tried to bend his strike into the far corner, but his shot was sent the wrong side of the post and out for a goal kick. Diogo Jota then almost found an equaliser in the 92nd minute when he met Robertson's cross with a diving header, but an acrobatic save from the 'keeper denied the forward, and the Reds were defeated in the capital.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Crystal Palace 1-0 Liverpool
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that Liverpool could fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, with an Alisson blunder gifting the hosts the victory in the simulation. The Reds weren't bad as they controlled the game and created plenty of chances, but poor finishing saw a big chance to gain ground on the top four escape Klopp's grasp.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments.
READ NEXT
Liverpool taught brutal £123m lesson by three transfers and fourth could be even worse
Real Madrid fear they have 'no chance' of signing Jude Bellingham as Jurgen Klopp stance revealed
Liverpool's summer transfer shopping list just has just added a new position
Jamie Carragher names the number of new players Liverpool need after Real Madrid humbling
