Liverpool vs Manchester United – Match Preview & Prediction

Embed from Getty Images

Manchester United secured a spot in the FA Cup fourth round earlier this week thanks to a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton, but now it’s time for them to get the job done at the league level. The Red Devils must win here since they have to get on a run of positive results if they want to crack the Top 4 in the standings. However, they will have a tough matchup Sunday when they visit Anfield to take on Liverpool. The Reds have a perfect record at home this season, and it would be a massive shock if they don’t claim the Premier League title in the next few weeks. This match will kick-off at 16:30 GMT.

Team News

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided a full update regarding several defenders, and most of them are positive news. Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw are expected to be available here. This should give Manchester United quite a boost on the defensive line. Marcos Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe have been ruled out, just like Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay. Star forward Marcus Rashford should be considered as doubtful after suffering a back injury against Wolves earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will welcome Fabinho and Joel Matip as both returned to training this week. Both defensive-minded players could be in contention to start against Solskjaer’s men, according to manager Jurgen Klopp. Xherdan Shaqiri is available after leaving a hamstring injury behind him. Dejan Lovren, Naby Keita and James Milner are not likely to play since all three are still working to get back to his best fitness levels. And right-back Nathaniel Clyne remains out due to an ACL injury.

Form guide

Manchester United enter this game on an inconsistent run of form when it comes to the Premier League. The Red Devils have gone W3, L2 over their last five league matches. That shouldn’t be impressive, but at the very least they seem to be trending in the right direction. For what is worth, The Red Devils sit in fifth place of the EPL standings with 34 points out of 22 matches. If the season ended today, they would be qualifying directly to the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League group stage.

On the other hand, Liverpool are in fine form as they have won each of their last 12 league matches. As if that wasn’t enough, Liverpool also enter this game on an impressive 51 -game undefeated streak in the Premier League at Anfield. Their most recent defeat came on April 2017 when The Reds lost 2-1 against Crystal Palace. As expected, Liverpool sit at the top of the standings with 61 points after 21 matches (W20, D1). They won a 13-point lead over the second-placed team, Manchester City.

What is our recent record against Liverpool?

Liverpool and Manchester United first faced all the way back in 1903 and so far, The Red Devils have the edge. Manchester United have won 87 times against 66 draws and Liverpool’s 73 victories. However, The Reds are undefeated in their last three matches against the Old Trafford outfit in all competitions (W1, D2).

The previous meeting between these two sides during the 2019-20 campaign happened on October last year. That match at Old Trafford ended with a 1-1 draw. Marcus Rashford netted a first-half goal for the hosts, and Adam Lallana equalized for Liverpool with a late strike in the 85th minute.

Predicted outcome

Manchester United’s lone edge here seems to be the fact that they boast a superior all-time record against Liverpool. The Reds are virtually unstoppable at the moment and especially at home, where they are yet to drop a single point this season and where they have not lost in almost three years. There’s no question United will aim to keep things close here. But Liverpool have a clear edge here based on both current and season-long form. Liverpool should be able to cruise towards a win rather easily here.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*