Alberto Moreno believes the Anfield factor could tip the balance of Liverpool’s League Cup semi-final against Saints in their favour.

But the Spanish defender has stressed the importance of starting the tie strongly at St Mary’s tonight.

In last season’s semi final, Jürgen Klopp’s side won the away leg of their last-four tie with Stoke City 1-0, before finishing the job on penalties having lost the return fixture by the same scoreline.

That reverse to the Potters represents the Reds’ last home defeat in any competition - an unbeaten run that stretches back almost a year and some 25 games.

However, while acknowledging that Liverpool benefited from a slice of fortune when the semi-final draw was made, Moreno is eager to lay a solid foundation ahead of the second leg.

“The most important thing is to go down there and make sure we come back with something positive because we’ve been lucky enough that we play the second leg in front of our own fans,” the left-back said.

“I’m not saying it hinges on it, but it would be very good to make things easier in the second leg.”

Klopp’s team have already visited St Mary’s in the Premier League this season and were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw in November.

“We’re expecting a difficult couple of games. They’re a great side and they’ve got some top players. They certainly made life hard for us in the league down there, it was very tight,” he said. “But in football there can be a world of difference between every game.”

Moreno recognises the pattern of the clubs’ last meeting at St Mary’s - which saw the visitors enjoy 65 per cent of the ball and register 15 shots on goal compared to Saints’ three - as a familiar story.

When asked whether Liverpool can learn any lessons from that stalemate, he replied: “If you look at the stats from most games you’ll find that we’ve got more possession than a lot of the sides we play and certainly create more chances on goal.

“That’s how we approach every game, whether it’s Southampton or any of our other rivals.

“What we’ve got to try to do is make sure it’s our best version that turns up at St Mary’s, play our best football and hopefully we’ll achieve our target.”