Liverpool striker Christian Benteke. (Photo : Getty Images)
Contending teams Southampton FC (12-10-8, 44 points) and Liverpool FC (12-8-8, 44 points) are scheduled to meet for a 2015-2016 Premier League season match at the St. Mary's Stadium on Sunday, March 20th as the two teams will try to vie for a place in next season's Champions League competitions.
With both squads having 44 points, they are only seven points away from Manchester City at the fourth spot of the league table, which is the final qualifying berth to the Champions League for 2016-2017.
A win for either the Saints or Reds will take them closer to their objective of competing in Europe's premier club continental tournament.
Southampton survived a shaky 2-1 escape against Stoke City last Saturday on the road at the Britannia Stadium, as per SkySports.
Italian striker Graziano Pelle scored a double, at the 11th and 30th minutes, to put Ronald Koeman's squad ahead by two goals early in the match.
The two-point lead lasted until the second half until Potters forward Marko Arnautovic cut it down to a single goal at the 52nd via a high flicking shot off a cross from teammate Ibrahim Afellay past Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Things got shaky for Southampton when substitute winger Sadio Mane was sent off in injury time and Stoke City is given the chance to equalize. The Saints held on with the lead, though, to secure the three points in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is two matchdays behind most of their domestic top flight opponents after competing with Manchester United in the last two week for two legs of the Europa League Round-of-16 competitions.
The Reds last game in the Premier League is also a 2-1 escape versus Crystal Palace at the Selhurst Park on March 6th, as reported by BBC Sport.
Eagles midfielder Joe Ledley scored the opening goal of the match at the 48th minute after the first half ended in a scoreless affair for the two teams.
The Reds' problems compounded when midfielder James Milner was sent off two minutes following the hour mark after getting booked with a second yellow card for a poor tackle on Wilfried Zaha.
However, Liverpool did not back down, scoring the next two goals with a 10-man lineup. Brazilian winger Roberto Firmino netted one ten minutes after Milner was sent off to equalize, then the Reds' forgotten man, Belgian striker Christian Benteke, struck the winner in stoppage time to seal the come-from-behind win for Jürgen Klopp's boys.
The predicted result is a tough 1-0 victory for Liverpool to extend their winning streak in the domestic competitions to four games.
Southampton starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Forster; Martina, van Dijk, Bertrand, Targett; Romeu, Clasie; Long, Davis, Tadic; Pellè
Liverpool starting lineup (4-4-1-1 formation): Mignolet; Flanagan, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Milner, Henderson, Can, Lallana; Firmino; Origi
