Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool Prediction: Carabao Cup hotshot Gakpo to keep up competition form

Brighton & Hove Albion face Liverpool twice this week and first up is a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday evening (19:30, Sky Sports+).

Read below for my Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds ahead of this first-ever managerial meeting between Fabian Hurzeler and Arne Slot.

Team News

Brighton's last Carabao Cup game, a 3-2 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers on September 18, came four days after a goalless draw with Ipswich Town in the Premier League. The Seagulls made eight changes for the visit of the Old Gold, with only Jack Hinshelwood, Carlos Baleba and Yankuba Minteh keeping their places in the starting XI.

We can probably expect a similar number of alterations to Hurzeler's starting lineup from their 2-2 draw with Wolves on Saturday when the south coast side threw away a two-goal lead to take just a point against the winless visitors.

Jason Steele is set to replace Bart Verbruggen in goal after being benched for Brighton's last seven league games, while Tariq Lamptey should come in at right-back for Joel Veltman.

Jakub Moder, Mats Wieffer, Simon Adingra, Julio Enciso, Brajan Gruda and Evan Ferguson are also likely starters after beginning Saturday's match on the bench, but James Milner isn't fit enough to return from injury to face his old side on Wednesday.

Minteh, Joao Pedro, Adam Webster, Solly March and Matt O'Riley are also expected to miss out again.

Football Odds

Slot hasn't tinkered too much with his starting XI in the Premier League or Uefa Champions League, but we saw a whole lot of rotation for their 5-1 win over West Ham United in the previous round of the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool beat AFC Bournemouth 3-0 four days before in the Premier League, with only Caoimhin Kelleher and Darwin Nunez retaining their places in the starting XI.

With Alisson Becker still injured, Kelleher is set to start in goal again for the Reds on Wednesday, unless Slot decides to hand a second appearance of the season to third-choice shot-stopper Vitezslav Jaros, who came on for the stricken Alisson in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park earlier this month.

In defence, expect Kostas Tsimikas, Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez to replace Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, while Conor Bradley is a certainty to deputise at right-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold if passed fit. Midfielder Tyler Morton may be shifted to a more unfamiliar position if Bradley isn't able to feature.

In midfield, expect Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai to start, joined by Morton if Bradley makes it, or one of Alexis Mac Allister or Curtis Jones if not.

Cody Gakpo is a guaranteed starter in the front three, where Mohamed Salah is expected to be rested. With Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa both potentially still sidelined, Luis Diaz and Nunez may have to feature from the off again unless Slot places his faith in one of his U21 players.

Harvey Elliott isn't back yet, either.

Brighton vs Liverpool Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Brighton vs Liverpool page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Brighton are 23/10 to triumph in regulation time on Wednesday, giving the Seagulls an implied win probability of 30.3%, while Liverpool are 21/20, or a 48.8% chance, to progress inside 90 minutes (plus added time).

A draw, meanwhile, would send the tie straight to a penalty shoot-out, and that result can be backed at 11/4.

Both teams to score is 1/2 and over 2.5 total goals is 8/15, while Liverpool quintet Salah (7/5) and Nunez (13/8) lead the anytime goalscorer market. Danny Welbeck (21/10) is first up for the hosts, followed by Ferguson (23/10).

Both Teams to Score 2 or More Goals Yes/No - Yes @ 3/1

This bet was a winner in both of Brighton's and Liverpool's weekend matches, with the Seagulls drawing 2-2 at home to Wolves and the Reds coming from behind twice to hold Arsenal to a 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium. It was the first time this season that Liverpool had conceded multiple goals in a game, but it's been a much more frequent occurrence for Hurzeler's side.

Brighton have allowed at least two goals in five of their last six games across all competitions, starting with their 3-2 win over Wolves in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Seagulls have also scored twice in those five contests, following that cup success with a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest and a 4-2 defeat to Chelsea before heading into the October international break with a 3-2 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

There was a relatively eventless 1-0 win at Newcastle United on October 19 but things picked up again on Saturday as the south-coast side blew a two-goal lead to draw with Wolves.

Once again, Brighton are the great entertainers, and that bodes well for Wednesday's fixture with Liverpool.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't back a side to score twice against Liverpool, certainly not to a team that should be competing at a lower level in the Premier League.

However, this is a game in which Slot is expected to make plenty of changes, and that should signal positive signs for the Seagulls, who saw West Ham go into the lead in their cup tie at Anfield last month, only for the Merseysiders to hit back strongly.

Liverpool have scored at least twice in nine of their 13 matches under Slot, and even with the likes of Salah and Jota not starting, they will expect to score a couple against a Brighton side that has been leaking goals over the past month.

I can see this being a thoroughly entertaining tussle between two exciting sides on Wednesday, so both teams to score two or more goals appeals to me at 3/1.

Anytime Goalscorer - Cody Gakpo (LIV) @ 2/1

Gakpo was the only one of Liverpool's four fit forwards who didn't start at the Emirates on Sunday, so we can be pretty sure that he will be in from the beginning at the Amex, so long as injury doesn't strike him down before.

The Dutchman played the duration of the previous round against West Ham and bagged a brace, so he will be looking to press on in the competition and put himself in pole position to finish as top goalscorer.

Gakpo has a terrific record in the Carabao Cup having struck four times in six appearances last season, and his double against the Irons took him up to six in seven.

Things haven't gone his way in front of goal in other competitions this term but Wednesday should provide the perfect opportunity to get back in the goals.

Brighton could make wholesale changes to their starting XI, and they've not exactly been watertight at the back themselves even with their first-choice defenders in the side.

Offers

We will be Top Price on Liverpool to beat Brighton in 90 minutes with selected bookmakers using Oddschecker for the comparison. (Available from 09:30 Wednesday 30/10)

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