Sports Blog 05/01/2015: Match Preview – AFC Wimbledon vs Liverpool, Monday 5th January 2015

Tonight sees a repeat of the 1988 FA Cup final, as AFC Wimbledon try to recreate what many claim to be the biggest cupset (sorry) of all time against Liverpool at Kingsmeadow.

With an FA Cup weekend devoid of any major upsets, the Dons will be looking to change this as they come up against a Liverpool side that is still struggling to perform consistently in the Premier League. However, compared to 1988 when Wimbledon finished 7th in the then titled First Division, AFC Wimbledon, one of the two Wimbledon splinter teams following the original side’s move to Milton Keynes, now sit in 12th in League Two. It is a long way from their late 80s heyday; but then it could be claimed that Liverpool have suffered a similar, if not quite as extreme, fall from grace in the intervening years as well.



The Reds are currently in 8th, and were hit on Friday by the news that captain, and Liverpool-lifer, Steven Gerrard intends to leave the club for the US by the end of the season. Players and managers come and go with alarming frequency in the modern game; it is rare for a player of Gerrard’s calibre to maintain allegiance to a club that was often performing far below Gerrard’s own talent. Despite a slip in form in recent times, Gerrard is Liverpool’s talisman, and it will be interesting to see if his impending loss is felt tonight.

However, Gerrard is still a Liverpool player for the moment, and Brendan Rodgers is expected to rest his captain in a game that the Red should in theory comfortably win. Having won 3 out of their last 4 away games, even a second-string Liverpool side should breeze past Wimbledon, regardless of the latter’s decent recent form.

If fit, Mario Balotelli (13/5 fixed odds betting to score first) may make a start tonight as he continues to try and find his feet at Liverpool; in fact, this morning saw rumours that the troublesome striker may return to Inter Milan as a replacement for the potentially Chelsea-bound Mauro Icardi. Rickie Lambert (13/5 to score first) may also figure tonight, as he too tries to make his presence felt in a Liverpool side that has been struggling in front of goal.

Neal Ardley’s Wimbledon side have fared better finding the back of the net, with Matt Tubbs scoring 15 this season (10/1 to score first), alongside Adebayo Akinfenwa on 8 goals (12/1 to score first) and Sean Rigg with 4 goals (20/1 to score first).

Yet regardless of Wimbledon’s goal-scoring form, and the resting of Gerrard, Brendan Rodgers will be keen to ensure Liverpool’s progress to the next round as he tries to ignore the Reds’ league woes. In light of this here at Spreadex we have seen plenty of bets on a Liverpool/AFC Wimbledon (h) Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 1.8-2, with our traders fancying a few goals tonight with a Total Goals spread betting quote 3.2-3.4.