Craig Bellamy has been arguably Kenny Dalglish’s shrewdest signing in his second spell in charge of Liverpool (2/5 in Match Betting) and the Welsh striker could take centre stage against his boyhood club Cardiff City (15/2, Draw 7/2) in the Carling Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.
Bellamy (4/1 First Goalscorer), who leads Liverpool this season with six Premier League goals, missed last weekend’s FA Cup win over Brighton with a back problem, but has been passed fit to start – as has defender Daniel Agger.
The ex-Bluebirds striker insists he is a changed man since returning for a second stint at Anfield and has put his volatile days of arguments and scuffles well behind him.
Fellow striker Luis Suarez has been the one making the headlines for all the wrong reasons this season and he too may well feel he owes Dalglish and the Liverpool fans a performance in a big game after disappointing in the much-hyped affair at Old Trafford.
Suarez has scored three goals in the competition this season, including a stunner at Stoke City and could be worthy of support in the Anytime Goalscorer market (11/8) because of Cardiff’s recent defensive struggles.
Malky Mackay’s side have conceded nine goals in their last four Championship matches, which will give the Scottish tactician cause for concern as they step up in class to face a Liverpool side driven on by Steven Gerrard – who always turns up on the big occasion for his club (7/1 Two or More goals).
Liverpool have progressed to the final by recording an impressive run of wins away from Anfield against Exeter, Brighton, Stoke, Chelsea and Manchester City.
They have scored 12 goals en route, but only four of these have come in the first halves of matches – which suggests the cagey Reds could be content to win the Cup final in the second half (10/3 Draw/Liverpool in HT/FT).
Kenny Dalglish’s side have added motivation in this competition which they have won more times than any other side as a win at Wembley, their first visit since the 1996 FA Cup loss, match would see the Merseysiders equal Manchester United’s record for most English domestic cup wins.
Liverpool are facing a lower-tier opponent in the League Cup Final for the fourth time and they have won on each previous occasion, against Bolton in 1995, on penalties in Cardiff against Birmingham in 2001 and after a replay over West Ham in 1981.
And the scale of Cardiff’s task can be seen by the fact that just one of the last seven sides from outside the top tier to reach the League Cup Final has won (Sheffield Wednesday in 1991).
Cardiff’s 2-0 win over Blackburn in the quarter-finals this season was the club’s first win in 11 League Cup meetings with top-flight sides and they progressed at the expense of fellow Championship sides Leicester, Burnley and Crystal Palace – twice needing penalties.
Bluebirds striker Kenny Miller (11/2 Anytime) believes his first visit to Wembley Stadium tomorrow could result in the best moment of his playing career.
Miller has denied Liverpool before, scoring a last minute equaliser against them for Wolves at Molineux in 2004, and would love to help City frustrate them again tomorrow.
He is one of the experienced men in Cardiff’s dressing room but is not the only potential scorer for the Welsh standard bearers – who have a few midfielders with an eye for goal.
Peter Whittingham (15/2 Anytime) has 10 to his name already this season, Don Cowie (10/1) enjoyed a goalscoring purple match when he grabbed six goals in the first two months of the campaign, while Aron Gunnarsson (11/1) has been chipping in with his fair share (5 in 28 Championship starts).
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