Southampton travel to Anfield this morning to face Liverpool in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final looking to reach the final for the first time since the 1970s.

The Saints are looking to win their first major trophy since beating Manchester United in the FA Cup final in 1976, when they were in the second division, sorry, Saints fans, we can’t count the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as a major one.

Claude Puel’s side go into the second leg 1-0 thanks to a fine finish from Nathan Redmond in the first leg, however, in truth, they could be heading up to Merseyside with a much larger margin if it weren’t for Loris Karuis or the crossbar at St. Mary’s.

The fans travelling from the south coast will be desperate for a day out at Wembley and a shot at the first League Cup in their club’s history.

Having seemingly been on the verge of qualification for the Europa League knockout stages earlier in the season, before a 1-1 home draw with Harpoel Be’er Sheva put an end to that dream, fans will be keen for a successful cup run, with league form also not being at its best.

With that said, here are THREE reasons they will get past Liverpool and reach the final of the EFL Cup…

Puel’s record

The Saints are yet to lose to Liverpool this season, they haven’t even conceded a goal against the Premier League’s most potent attacking outfit.

However, to add to this season’s record, their manager Claude Puel is also yet to face defeat against the Reds in his career. The Frenchman faced Liverpool in the Champions League with his Lyon side, drawing one leg and winning another, a good omen?

The Lead

Having not conceded against the Reds this season, and having watched them concede three against Swansea at Anfield over the weekend, the Saints will be confident of taking something.

Having struggled in front of goal this term, Puel’s side found their goalscoring touch once again on Sunday when they beat champions Leicester 3-0 at St. Mary’s.

Philippe Coutinho

The Brazilian forward came off the bench in the first leg as he returned from a lengthy injury spell and could well be key in the second leg.

However, there have been further questions raised over the fitness of the former Inter Milan playmaker, which could be a huge boost to the Saints, who could be without star man Virgil van Dijk.