Liverpool, the English team featuring the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, will visit Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium in the final match of the 2022-2023 English Premier League season. This game will take place as part of the 38th and last round of the competition.
Today's match serves as a formality for both teams.
Liverpool's participation in the next season's UEFA Europa League has been confirmed after failing to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
On the other hand, Southampton will play their final match in the English Premier League before being relegated to the Championship.
Liverpool enters the match in the fifth position of the Premier League table with 66 points, trailing third-placed Manchester United by 6 points.
Southampton, on the other hand, occupies the 20th and last position with 24 points.
Liverpool is 4 points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, settling for a place in the next season's Europa League and losing its permanent spot in the Champions League, which they have held since the 2017-2018 season.
Four English clubs will participate in the next season's UEFA Champions League: Manchester City as champions, Arsenal as runners-up, and Manchester United and Newcastle as the third and fourth-placed teams.
This means that Salah will miss out on the prestigious and highly competitive European club tournament after ten seasons of playing in the continent.
Liverpool has experienced fluctuating results in the English Premier League this season, winning 19 out of 37 matches, drawing 9, and losing 9.
Southampton enters the match after officially confirming their relegation, occupying the last position. They have won 6 matches, drawn 6, and lost 25 out of their 37 matches.
Southampton, nicknamed "The Saints," has lost 10 out of the last 11 league matches against Liverpool. The only exception was a 1-0 victory at home in 2021.
Liverpool aims to achieve their 50th victory against Southampton in the history of their encounters in the Premier League.
They are expected to finish the season outside the top four for the first time since the 2015-2016 season when they finished eighth.
Liverpool has not lost in their last 10 league matches, winning 7 and drawing 3. Meanwhile, Southampton has not achieved any victories in their last 12 league matches, losing the last 5 in a row, which is the club's third-longest consecutive losing streak in history.
Mohamed Salah seeks to end his season with Liverpool on a positive note. He expressed his sadness and disappointment regarding his team's failure to qualify for the next season's Champions League.
Salah hopes to score against Southampton today to reach his 20th goal in the English Premier League this season.
This would mark his fifth season achieving this milestone out of the six seasons he has played with Liverpool. He scored 19 goals in the 2019-2020 season.
If Salah scores today, he would achieve a historic feat as the first player in Premier League history to score 20 goals and provide at least 10 assists in three different seasons.
Only the French legend Thierry Henry has accomplished this, scoring 20 goals and providing 10 assists in two seasons.
Additionally, Salah would surpass Steven Gerrard and become the fifth-highest scorer in Liverpool's history across all competitions if he scores today, with a total of 186 goals.
Liverpool has a higher market value compared to Southampton. According to Transfermarkt, Liverpool's value is €879 million, while Southampton's value is €397 million. Mohamed Salah is the most valuable player in both teams, valued at €70 million.
In the first leg match at Anfield, Liverpool emerged victorious with a 3-1 scoreline against Southampton.