On Sunday afternoon Jürgen Klopp brings his Liverpool side across from Merseyside to face off against Manchester United. We all know that this is always one of the biggest fixtures in the calendar. But it feels like this game coming now has extra meaning behind it for Man United. The way things have been going this could either be the turning point for Solskjær. Or hopefully, a result could be just the spring we need to build on a midweek comeback and string together a good run of games.
Opposition
Liverpool come into this game definitely looking like the better team. In their last six games across all competitions they have won 4 and drawn 2. In the Premier League they are currently one point off Chelsea in the top spot. Having played 8, they have won 5 and drawn 3, giving them a total of 18 points. More than just the results they have, unfortunately, been playing some excellent football. After a drop off last season, it seems like those players that were making them tick have returned to the form that they were in a few seasons ago. And it doesn’t look like they are slowing down.
I don’t expect Klopp to change things up. Sticking with his trusted 4-3-3 and keeping the back five what we expect. With Alisson in net. Van Dijk and Matip ahead in central defence. And then Robertson and Alexander-Arnold on either side. Moving to the midfield, I would imagine that Fabinho starts alongside Jordan Henderson and James Milner. Up top I can’t see there being a change from Mané, Firmino and Salah. We all know what this team is capable of when it is functioning as well as it now. They could run riot against United on Sunday.
manchester United
However, we do know how we can get at this Liverpool team. And the key player to make this happen will be Marcus Rashford. The way that he runs in behind and his direct threat of pace could be seriously damaging for a team like Liverpool. To be the most effective he can be, we have to see Marcus on the left. Firstly, whenever he plays on the right or through the middle he looks nowhere near as good. Also, Liverpool’s glaring defence weakness is on their right, our left-hand side. With the way that Trent gets so high up the pitch there is definitely an opportunity to be seized here. And Marcus Rashford could be the perfect man for the job.
Predicting the lineup for a big game like this is usually a straightforward job. However, United have a few injury doubts that could make this a more difficult task. The back five will undoubtedly be the same. David de Gea in net. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindleöf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Then as the midfield two, ordinarily I’d say that Ole will stick with Fred and McTominay. These are the kinds of matches where these two can shine. However, Fred came off midweek holding his hamstring and Solskjær has since confirmed that he is a doubt for this weekend. Bearing that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Matic drop back in there.
Moving further forward, Bruno is usually a certainty to start in these big games. But again, Ole has said that he is a doubt for Sunday’s fixture as well. So I could see Paul Pogba starting in the 10, or for a more pressing team which is probably what we need Jesse Lingard could fill in. As I mentioned Marcus Rashford has to start on the left for me, but again Ole has said that he is also a doubt for Sunday. I don’t think Ronaldo will ever be dropped so he is almost guaranteed to start up top. And then on the right I’d go for Jadon Sancho just because of that creativity he can provide and the quick passes he can give in playing on the counter.
Overall I see this being a very tricky game for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to have to contend with. I can’t see that either team will keep a clean sheet. The attacking output and the defensive frailties of both teams means we could be in for a high scoring game. Ultimately, I think this is going to come down to who is more clinical in front of goal. As I’ve said before, I will never predict United to lose. But, it is definitely out of hope rather than belief that I’m going for a United 3-2 win.