Andoni Iraola returns to the Vitality Stadium for a reunion with his old club, as Liverpool seek their second away win of the season.
It's a strange occasion for Iraola, who built his reputation at Bournemouth before making the move to Anfield, and his players will know exactly how difficult a place this has become for visiting teams to get a result.
Alexander Isak continues to build fitness and sharpness after a long injury lay-off, and he's joined in the Liverpool engine room by Dominik Szoboszlai, who has a strong record in this fixture. Bournemouth, for their part, remain one of the most reliable teams in the league for goals at both ends.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Best Betting Tip
Best Bet: Alexander Isak - Over 1.5 Shots On Target
Stake: 1pt
Best Odds: 7/4 (Ladbrokes)
Alexander Isak's shots on target across his last five matches read 1, 0, 2, 1 and 2, a spread that shows he's capable of testing the goalkeeper multiple times even in games where he hasn't found the net. His away form specifically has been sharper still, with 2 and 2 shots on target in his two league away outings this season.
With Bournemouth's home games regularly producing goals at both ends and Isak continuing to build his match sharpness after returning from injury, 7/4 for him to register two or more shots on target looks a solid price to open the card.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Bet Builder Tip
Our Bet Builder Tip includes the following legs for the Bournemouth vs Liverpool game:
- Both Teams To Score - Yes
- Dominik Szoboszlai - Over 0.5 Shots On Target
- Alex Scott - Over 1.5 Fouls Won
- Over 2.5 Total Home Team Cards
Best odds: 8/1 (Paddy Power)
The first leg backs both teams to score, a market that has landed in each of Bournemouth's last four matches, hitting in nine of their last 10 games overall and in both meetings between these two sides last season. Bournemouth's attacking approach at home makes this the foundation of the whole builder.
The second leg looks at Dominik Szoboszlai for over 0.5 shots on target, a line he's cleared in four of his last five appearances against Bournemouth specifically. His shots on target across his last 10 starts read 1, 1, 3, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 0, and away from home his last five starts have produced 3, 1, 1, 1 and 0, a record that shows he rarely goes long without at least one effort on target.
The third leg backs Alex Scott for over 1.5 fouls won, a mark he's cleared regularly this season. His fouls won across his last 10 starts read 6, 3, 5, 3, 1, 0, 3, 1, 2 and 2, and at home specifically his last five starts have produced 3, 3, 0, 1 and 2, showing he draws plenty of contact when Bournemouth are on their own turf.
The final leg backs over 2.5 total home team cards, a line that's hit in each of Bournemouth's last three matches, with over 4.5 cards landing in all five of their last five games. Facing a Liverpool side with real pace out wide, Bournemouth's defenders are likely to pick up their fair share of bookings trying to contain the visitors.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Team News
Bournemouth have no new injury concerns ahead of Sunday's clash, although they remain without Eli Junior Kroupi, Amine Adli, Veljko Milosavljevic and Julian Araujo. Marco Rose could name the same XI that started Thursday's Europa League win over Real Sociedad, although Lewis Cook is an option to replace Tyler Adams in midfield.
Liverpool also have no fresh fitness concerns, with Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa remaining unavailable. Andoni Iraola is expected to restore several regulars after rotating for Tuesday's Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.
Cody Gakpo returned from injury to score and assist against Spurs and is expected to start, while Alisson should replace Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal. Virgil van Dijk and Florian Wirtz are also expected to return to the starting XI.
Bournemouth Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Adam Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
Liverpool Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Gakpo, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak
Liverpool head into the game with six points from their opening four league matches, while Bournemouth are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Match Prediction
Liverpool travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Sunday, with both sides looking for a positive result before the international break.
Bournemouth are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, drawing their last three matches after losing their opener to Manchester City. However, Marco Rose's side will take confidence from Thursday's 2-1 Europa League victory over Real Sociedad.
Liverpool are also yet to hit their best league form, winning just one of their opening four matches and drawing the other three. They did, however, beat Tottenham 3-1 in the Carabao Cup in midweek and remain unbeaten across all competitions.
The Reds also have a strong recent record at the Vitality Stadium, winning nine of their last 12 visits. However, Bournemouth have shown enough attacking threat this season to make this a potentially competitive contest.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Player Card Tip
Player Card Bet: Adam Smith - Player to be Carded
Best Odds: 7/2 (Paddy Power)
Stake: 1pt
Adam Smith has been carded in three of his last three appearances, and his fouls committed across his last nine starts read 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1 and 1. At home specifically, his last five starts have produced 2, 1, 3, 0 and 2 fouls, a rate that already puts him among the more card-prone full-backs in the league.
Coming up against Liverpool's pace out wide, Smith is likely to find himself defending in more one-on-one situations than usual, exactly the kind of matchup that tends to produce late challenges and cheap bookings. That makes 7/2 a fair price to round off the card.
