The international break is finally over. Eight EPL games will begin the final stretch of spring to win trophies and stay alive.
Matchday 32 is the beginning of the culmination of the 2017-18 English Premier League season. All 20 teams have a grind to the finish line before players head to Russia for the World Cup. Every team has something on the line. Whether its top four, relegation or keeping a key player, these last six matchdays will determine the final standings.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
Palace and Liverpool will enter Saturday morning’s match at Selhurst Park with two very different goals in mind. For Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace, a win will push them further up the table and away from the relegation zone. The Eagles picked up their first win since January 13th when they beat Huddersfield 2-0 back on March 17th.
The squad’s health is a concern with Wilfried Zaha’s injury leaving him doubtful for some time. Some other injured players are Joel Ward, Scott Dann, and Bakary Sako. Palace will continue to ride on the heroics of Luka Milivojevic, who scored in Palace’s last victory and has played 810 consecutive minutes in the league.
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For Liverpool, the goal will be to get as many bear hugs as possible from Jurgen Klopp. It’s also to make the Champions League again. The Reds dominated their last time out with a 5-0 win over Watford, where Mo Salah put on his best performance of the season netting four. This will be a must-win for Liverpool with Everton up next weekend and a match against Chelsea on May 5th.
Emre Can will be missing from the starting eleven due to injury. Emre is a vital cog in the Reds midfield, helping on defense and allowing Jordan Henderson and Giorgio Wijnaldum to press forward. If Klopp wants to continue his attacking theme, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be the choice to start in place of Emre. James Milner could start if Klopp wants to replace Emre’s defensive capabilities.
Match Info
Venue – Selhurst Park
Time – 7:30 am EST
TV – NBC Sports Network
Streaming – NBC Sports Live
Last Meeting – Liverpool 1-0 Palace (August 19th)
Prediction – Palace 1-4 Liverpool