Liverpool vs Southampton: EFL Cup lineups, team news, confirmed starting teams as Isak starts
Full teams from Liverpool v Southampton
Liverpool will attempt to extend their perfect start to the season to seven wins in all competitions when second-tier Southampton visit Anfield in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday.
Despite their defeat to Newcastle in last season’s final, the Reds’ 10 EFL Cup titles make the Premier League leaders the most successful team in the history of the competition.
In Will Still’s first season in charge, Southampton have won at third-tier Northampton Town and Championship club Norwich City in the EFL Cup but are yet to add to their solitary league win following relegation, which came at home to Wrexham on the opening day of 2025/26.
101GreatGoals.com has the lineups and confirmed starting teams from Liverpool vs Southampton in the EFL Cup, as well as TV and streaming details.
Liverpool vs Southampton: Best EFL Cup Betting Sites, Tips & Predictions
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Liverpool starting lineup vs Southampton
Premier League-record £125 million signing Alexander Isak starts for Liverpool, as does midfielder Curtis Jones, who returned from the bench in the 2-1 home win over Everton on Saturday following an unspecified injury.
£116m midfielder Florian Wirtz is not involved but wing sensation Rio Ngumoha starts and could become the youngest Liverpool player ever to score in the League Cup if he is involved against Southampton.
Ngumoha would achieve the feat 20 days earlier than record-holder Ben Woodburn, who netted at 17 years and 45 days of age.
Arne Slot’s side have won each of their first six matches in all competitions and the Dutchman oversaw three victories against the Saints during his first season in charge, including an away victory in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai and last season’s Premier League top scorer, Mohamed Salah, are among the players rested ahead of Liverpool’s trip to fifth-placed Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00 BST).
Goals by Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike secured a 2-1 home league win over Everton on Saturday.
Liverpool starting XI: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak, Rio Ngumoha
Liverpool substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Milos Kerkez, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Rhys Williams, Kaide Gordon, Kieran Morrison, Tommy Pilling, Jayden Danns
EFL Cup Third Round Betting Offers, Tips & Predictions
Southampton starting lineup vs Liverpool
Southampton’s Flynn Downes, who returned from illness on the bench against Hull but was not used, starts against Liverpool.
Striker Cameron Archer had a hamstring issue but came off the bench and is also in the starting line-up but left-back Welington has an ankle injury.
“Welly is still working his way back,” said Still (via Southampton’s website), who changed almost his entire line-ups in the previous rounds of the EFL Cup.
“We’ve got a massive squad. Some players need to play, some players need an opportunity, so that’s what’s going to happen.
“But we’re never going to completely disregard it and put a load of Under-21s. We’ve got a lot of good players and some… deserve this opportunity, but also some players who have done really well considering the lesser results of the last few weeks, so it’s about getting the right mix between those players that need to play and the ones that deserve to play as well.
“It will present a few opportunities for other players, so just go for it – don’t overthink it, don’t overanalyse it, stand up and be counted.
“Whatever team will start will be the team we think is the best to play the game at this moment in time and have a right go.”
Southampton are in the midst of a five-match winless league run since beating Wrexham at home on the opening day.
Still’s side are two points above second-bottom Sheffield Wednesday following a 3-1 defeat at Hull City on Saturday and the next goal they concede to Liverpool will be the 200th Southampton have shipped against the Reds.
“It’s a good thing we’re playing again and we get the opportunity to erase the mistakes we made on Saturday,” said former Lens manager Still.
“But no-one is stupid; no-one is blind to what the challenge is. They’re the best team in England – probably one of the best in Europe – and we have to go there with the belief that we can play football and that we’re good at doing certain things in our register.
“We just have to show a bit of personality, a bit of bravery to stand back up, to get back up. I just want us to have a go, to be brave and show a bit of what we’re about, not just go there and fold over and crumple.
“We need to be strong, we need to be good at what we do.”
Southampton starting XI: Alex McCarthy, Elias Jelert, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Wood, Joshua Quarshie, Ryan Manning, Flynn Downes, Caspar Jander, Adam Armstrong, Leo Scienza, Cameron Archer
Southampton substitutes: George Long, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Shea Charles, Kuryu Matsuki, Ryan Fraser, Tom Fellows, Jay Robinson, Ross Stewart, Damion Downs
How to watch Liverpool v Southampton: TV channel, live stream
Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Ultra, ITV1 and STV.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £28 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.
The game can be streamed via Sky GO, ITVX and STV Player.
Liverpool v Southampton stats
- In 12 of the last 14 Liverpool matches the sum of goals was over 3.5
- In 11 of the last 12 Liverpool home matches in the EFL Cup, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 12 of the last 14 Liverpool matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 5 of the last 6 Liverpool matches the sum of goals was over 4.5
- Liverpool have won 6 of the last 7 home matches in the EFL Cup and the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 13 of the last 15 Southampton away matches in the EFL Cup, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 15 of the last 17 Southampton matches the sum of goals was under 3.5
- In 9 of the last 10 Southampton away matches the sum of goals was under 3.5
- In 7 of the last 8 Southampton matches in the EFL Cup, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 6 of the last 8 Southampton matches the sum of goals was over 2.5