Ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen is expecting his former club to clinch a top-four finish by securing the win they need against Crystal Palace today.
The BT Sport pundit feels the Reds will be favourites for the three points with their opponents unlikely to put up much of a fight this afternoon:
“This is a must-win match. Up against a Palace side that have nothing to play for, I think they’ll get the job done.”
Owen has gone with a 2-1 victory for the home team, which suggests he thinks it could still be a pretty tight affair, despite the contrasting motivations of the two sides.
There is the added factor that it is Roy Hodgson’s final game as Palace manager and, while the away team will be keen to give their boss a good send-off, you would expect Liverpool to have more of an edge about them, considering what is at stake.
The Eagles do have players that will cause the Reds’ inexperienced centre-back partnership some problems so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them score. You would hope, though, that Jurgen Klopp’s side have enough firepower at the other end of the pitch to get the result they require.
