Liverpool play host to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon knowing that only three points will do if they are to remain in the hunt for the Premier League title.
Wolves make the trip to Anfield having already secured seventh position in the standings, but Nuno Espirito Santo will want to achieve another high-profile scalp on the final day of the campaign.
Liverpool
© Reuters
Everyone associated with Liverpool is still recovering from their remarkable 4-0 triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but Jurgen Klopp will not find it difficult to motivate his side ahead of Sunday's fixture.
Liverpool have put together an eight-match winning streak in order to keep pace with Manchester City, and the Merseyside outfit can only keep their end of their bargain when facing Wolves in front of their own supporters.
There will be an acknowledgement that Brighton & Hove Albion are huge underdogs in their encounter with City, but there would be a bigger disappointment if Liverpool failed to beat Wolves and City did not overcome the Seagulls.
There will be tiredness in a squad which has been left having to cope with a number of injury issues, but Klopp responded to questions from the media by reiterating the desire of his players to play through any pain.
Liverpool will be disappointed if achieving 97 points does not prove to be enough to end their 29-year wait for a league trophy, but that will not prevent Klopp from taking countless positives into the future.
They have put themselves in this position without Mohamed Salah replicating his form from the last campaign, while Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been major misses through injury.
Klopp will be satisfied that there is a unity in his squad which can only grow stronger, especially after the scenes which followed an unforgettable win over Barcelona.
That result means that Liverpool still have an opportunity to claim a sixth European Cup in three weeks' time, and it may take the edge off any frustration suffered if they narrowly miss out on finishing ahead of City.
Recent form: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLWW
Wolverhampton Wanderers
© Reuters
Wolves would have initially expected to still have work to do in order to earn seventh spot, but the West Midlands outfit have managed to reach their target with a game to spare after a run of 10 points from four matches.
The heartbreaking defeat to Watford in the FA Cup semi-finals could have led to a flat end to the campaign, but Nuno's side have used the disappointment as a catalyst to earn the bragging rights outside of the top six.
Wolves are desperate to earn a place in next season's Europa League in a bid to continue their progress both on and off the pitch, and that will be achieved if Man City can defeat Watford in the FA Cup final.
However, Nuno will stress to his players that they should take pride from a record-breaking season at Molineux, and expectations will only rise as Wolves attempt to break into the top six.
Nuno's biggest task this summer will be to keep hold of the players who have got the club to this stage, and the likes of Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota will inevitably receive interest from bigger clubs.
The latter has proven to be Wolves' best player since the turn of the year, and the attacker has now contributed a total of nine goals and five assists from 32 outings in the Premier League.
Many of those have come over the last three months, and there will also be a feeling among Wolves supporters over what they could have achieved if Leander Dendoncker had been introduced into the team before December.
Nevertheless, this was always going to be a transitional period for Wolves, and there is every indication that this team can only get stronger if they continue to buy into the ambition coming from behind the scenes.
Recent form: WLDWWW
Recent form (all competitions): LLDWWW
Team News
© Reuters
Klopp has suggested that each of Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson and Salah should be fit to take their place in the squad this weekend.
Robertson and Henderson sustained ankle and knee issues against Barcelona, while Salah suffered concussion against Newcastle United.
However, Roberto Firmino has been ruled out with a muscle problem, leaving Divock Origi to continue in the final third alongside Salah and Sadio Mane.
Nuno could decide to keep the same first XI, although the Portuguese has previously spoken about handing minutes to third-choice goalkeeper Will Norris.
Romain Saiss, Morgan Gibbs-White, Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa may be considered for starting roles if Nuno gives consideration to some of his squad being involved in international tournaments during the summer.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Milner; Mane, Origi, Salah
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Norris; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny; Jota, Jimenez
Head To Head
Sunday's encounter will represent the 104th competitive meeting between the two clubs, with Liverpool registering 50 wins in comparison to 36 victories for Wolves.
The clubs have met on 11 occasions since the turn of the millennium, and Wolves have managed to record three successes and two draws during that period.
Liverpool got the better of Wolves in the Premier League in December, but Wolves gained revenge by seeing off the Merseyside outfit in the FA Cup third round two-and-a-half weeks later.
We say: Liverpool 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool may find it difficult to raise their game given their exploits earlier this week, but Klopp's men should still have enough in the tank to see off a Wolves outfit who could struggle to perform at their usual high level.
No Data Analysis info
