Southampton vs AFC Bournemouth Predictions

• Bournemouth have won four of their last six Premier League away games with both teams scoring in five
• Southampton have lost five of their last six Premier League matches with both teams on the scoresheet in five
• The Saints have conceded three or more goals in five of their last six home league games

Cherries’ Euro charge shows no sign of slowing

Bournemouth’s bid to bring European football to the south coast should be boosted by a trip to Southampton on Saturday. St Mary’s has put out the welcome mat for all but two of the Saints’ 11 Premier League visitors with only Ipswich and Everton failing to take all three points.

And Ivan Juric’s side also succumbed to Championship promotion contenders Burnley on their own patch last weekend when both sides rang the changes. Southampton did win their last top-flight game — a 2-1 victory at Ipswich that halted a six-game losing sequence in the league.

Juric will hope that the result breeds confidence in a group of players that have looked rudderless for almost the entire campaign. But it is one thing beating an inconsistent Ipswich side and another to keep the Champions League-challenging Cherries in check.

Both teams tend to score when Bournemouth travel

Andoni Iraola’s men bounced back from their 2-0 home loss to Liverpool on the first day of the month with an FA Cup fourth-round win on Merseyside last Saturday. They rode their luck at times in the second half when Everton struck the woodwork three times and saw another effort cleared off the line.

But Bournemouth had already established a two-goal lead by the time the Toffees got going and fast, intense starts have been propelling them to away victories all season. The Cherries have won four and drawn two of their last six Premier League road games and can get the job done again on Saturday.

But it is probably worth backing Southampton to score too to boost the odds up from around 1/2 to 7/4. Both teams have scored in seven of the Cherries’ last eight away league games and in five of Southampton’s last six top-flight contests.

Tavernier is overdue a goal

As for a correct score prediction, a repeat of the 3-1 home win for the Cherries earlier this season is the most likely outcome according to both clubs’ scoring trends. Southampton have conceded at least three goals in five of their last six Premier League home game while Bournemouth average just under three goals per away game over their last six top-flight trips. 

Cherries winger Marcus Tavernier is overdue a goal after assisting three in his last five league appearances and hitting the woodwork from range against Liverpool.

He scored in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win at St Mary’s on their last visit and can oblige again.