EFL CUP PREVIEW: Liverpool vs. Southampton 2017: Start time, team news, stats, TV schedule and match thread

Key Information:

Date/time: 25/01/2017, 20:00 (UK), 15:00 ET, 12:00 PT (USA)

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, UK

Official: TBC

TV: Sky Sports (UK), beIN SPORTS (USA) and check out LiveSoccerTV for alternatives.

Streaming: Sky Go (UK), fuboTV (USA)

Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live (UK)

Southampton take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their EFL Cup semi final against Liverpool as they make the trip up to Merseyside.

Saints snapped a four-game losing run in the league on Sunday, comfortably defeating Leicester City 3-0. Meanwhile, Liverpool were handed a shock 3-2 home defeat against relegation strugglers Swansea City on Saturday.

However, Southampton lost star defender Virgil van Dijk after he picked up an ankle injury in his team's victory on the weekend, while Liverpool welcome back a key defensive unit in Joel Matip following a period of absence thanks to confusion over his eligibility to play while Cameroon are playing in the African Cup of Nations.

Jack Stephens looks set to start in van Dijk's place as the Saints aim for a first major cup final since 2003.

Stats Zone:

This is the fifth time Liverpool have gone into a League Cup second leg with a deficit - however, on the past two occasions they have recovered to reach the final, doing so against Crystal Palace in 2000-01 and Sheffield United in 2002-03.

The Saints are aiming to reach the final of the League Cup for only the second time - in 1978-79 they eliminated Leeds in the semi-finals before losing to Nottingham Forest in the final.

The Reds have won three of their four home League Cup matches against Southampton, most recently a 3-1 victory in November 2002 with goals from Patrik Berger, El Hadji Diouf and Milan Baros.

Southampton have won their past three away League Cup matches against top-flight opposition, defeating Arsenal (2014-15 and 2016-17) and Stoke (2014-15); prior to this run, they had won just two of the previous 27.

Only Aston Villa (82) and Arsenal (78) have won more home League Cup matches than Liverpool (75).

Six of the last eight teams to win the first leg of the League Cup semi-final at home by a one-goal margin have been eliminated - only Sunderland in 2013-14 and Tottenham in 2014-15 have then reached the final.

Liverpool have not lost back-to-back League Cup matches since 2005, when they lost to Chelsea in the 2004-05 final followed by a third-round defeat by Crystal Palace in October.

In 53 previous home League Cup matches against top-flight opponents, Liverpool have only failed to score in four.

Only Aston Villa (467) have scored more goals in League Cup history than Liverpool (466).

Follow the action with live tweets here (please note, we're not responsible for its content).