Manchester United vs Liverpool: Match preview, team news and prediction

Manchester United host rivals Liverpool in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

United beat Brentford 2-1 on Monday to return to winning ways on home soil, while Liverpool claimed a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield last weekend.

Match preview

United will aim to secure a victory to clinch Champions League qualification. Doing that against a fierce rival would make it more enjoyable.

The Red Devils have collected 10 points from their last six league fixtures — the same as Liverpool within that period.

That said, United have enjoyed a remarkable home form under interim manager Michael Carrick, winning six and losing one out of seven games.

This puts them in good stead to end their two-game winless run at home against the Reds and complete the league double over them since the 2015/16 season.

United could look to exploit the visitors’ defensive frailties, particularly at full-back. They could focus on attacking through the left flank, particularly if Curtis Jones plays at right back for Liverpool.

United’s defensive shape must be rock-solid, with Liverpool accounting for the highest expected goals (xG) from open play in the competition this term.

Liverpool, meanwhile, need five points to secure a Champions League berth, leaving them with more work to do than United heading into the final stretch.

Arne Slot’s side head into this clash with belief, having won their last three league fixtures — their best winning run in the competition since the early stage of the season.

The Merseyside giants have lacked consistency on the road, but have won in three of their last five visits to United in the league.

Having won 3-0 in this fixture last term, Slot could become the first Liverpool manager to win his first two league fixtures at Old Trafford.

Liverpool would be aware of United’s own defensive flaws, with the hosts keeping just four clean sheets in 13 games under Carrick.

Despite ranking second for ball possession in the Premier League this season, the Reds could adopt a cautious approach here to keep United at bay.

Team news

United have been handed an injury boost with forward Matheus Cunha’s return to training. However, Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined, while Lisandro Martinez is suspended.

Liverpool will be without star forward Mohamed Salah, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, while goalkeeper Alisson Becker is doubtful.

Prediction

We predict a 2-1 win for Man United.

Stats from whoscored.com, liverpoolfc.com & transfermarkt.com

Article written by Henry Thornton .