Share

Hughes targeting Liverpool's defensive woes

Cape Town - Manager Mark Hughes has no doubts Stoke City will recover from Saturday's 3-0 Premier League humbling by Leicester City in time to capitalise on Liverpool's defensive frailties in the second leg of the League Cup semifinals on Tuesday.

The Potters head into a clash needing to score at least once to advance to the final after they lost the first leg 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium earlier this month.

"It's a cup semifinal for goodness sake and if you can't get up for that then there's something wrong somewhere. We are having a decent season and we will bounce back, I'm sure of that because we always do," Hughes told British media.

Liverpool prevailed in a nine-goal thriller against Norwich City on Saturday, exposing their porous defence in the 5-4 league win, which enthused Hughes.

"There's a lot of goals being scored against them, but they have the ability of scoring at the other end and so we have to be mindful of that," the former Manchester City manager said.

"We go there in good heart and it's about making sure what our focus should be on Tuesday and if it is right we will go close."

Following Tuesday's game, Stoke, who are ninth in the table after 23 games, travel to fifth-placed Manchester United on February 2.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1215 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1415 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2146 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE