An age-old rivalry gets rekindled this weekend once more. Liverpool and Manchester United had ruled the scenes in England for decades, before both went out of limelight by the start of the 2010s.
Since then, the Reds have come back to where they belong, and by the looks of it, the Devils might be on track for their resurgence as well.
As it stands, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are placed at the top of the table, and have a lead of three points, while Jurgen Klopp’s men are not far behind in second. The last time United were top of the league at this stage of the season, they went on to win the title (2012/13 season). Is history about to repeat itself? We’ll have to wait and see.
Should the Red Devils win this fixture, they would have an impressive lead of six points, and the struggling Reds just might not be able to catch them again.
It’s safe to say that this could turn out to be one of the most important games for the six-time European champions this season.
Both teams boast individual game-changers and have plenty of players in form. On top of that, with the kind of rivalry these two share, the game just might turn into a battle of pride.
Expect a lot of fouls and cards, and judging the style of either squad, maybe we can anticipate a lot of goals as well.
Form Guide: Home Kings vs Away Kings
Liverpool have not lost in five straight matches against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team at Anfield in all competitions. Manchester United’s last win on Merseyside came all the way back in the 2015/16 season. The Reds have the league’s best home points total with 22 from a possible 24. Jurgen Klopp’s side have outscored opponents 21-8 on their own pitch, but they are in a form crisis at the moment. However, we know games like this don’t take form into consideration and the added motivation of a record at Anfield should Liverpool play at their best powers.
Over to Manchester, the Red Devils are the Premier League’s best away team with 22 points from 24 on offer. Infact, they are up there as one of the sides with the best away form in 2020 across Europe. This season, they are yet to lose a single away game in the league. They have also outscored opponents 22-11.
With all of the above in mind, we’re left with a big question. Can Manchester United knock the Reds off their perch or will Liverpool return to the top of the table with a third straight win at Anfield against the Red Devils? We can’t exactly tell you how that will play out but we’ll give you the tips for the likely events that could happen.
Liverpool vs Manchester United: Head-to-head (h2h)
- Four of the past six encounters had goals from both teams.
- Two of the last five clashes had four or more goals.
- The hosts have scored two or more goals in three of the former five match-ups at this venue.
- The latest game at this stadium had ended in a 2-0 win for the home team.
Liverpool vs Manchester United Betting Tips
Both teams to score
For obvious reasons, it’s easy to see why we expect both teams to score at least. Given what is at stake, both teams are expected to be on ‘edge’ from the very onset and that should lead to a ‘open’ yet entertaining game. It could be a case of who scores more but we can see both sides getting at least a goal. Bet9ja have 1.55 odds, Bet365 have 1.61 and 1xbet have 1.63.
Over 2.5 Goals
For the same reasons above, we’re also tipping this game to bring at least three goals. Asides the fact that this fixture has seen some high-scoring results over the years, both sides currently have ‘shaky’ backlines. Either it comes down to individual mistakes or brilliance, we’re expecting a good number of goals in this one. Bet9ja have 1.64 odds, Bet365 have 1.66 and 1xbet have 1.73.
Anytime Goal-scorer (Liverpool)
Salah
The Egyptian has a good scoring record against Manchester United and he even scored last time out in this fixture at Anfield. Salah is without a goal in his last three games and this fixture couldn’t mark a better time to get back in the goals. Added to the fact that he’s the league’s top-scorer, he also has the golden boot race as an extra incentive to get in on the goals today. Bet365 have 1.72 odds while Bet9ja have theirs at 2.10.
Mane
The Senegalese has not been at his scintillating best this season with only six league goals to his name. However, one can’t write Mane off in a Liverpool jersey. The 28-year-old has that occasional brilliance in him and you would expect he’ll equally want to save the day for his side with a goal or two perhaps. Bet365 have 2.10 odds while Bet9ja have it better at 2.75 odds.
Anytime Goal-scorer (Manchester United)
Fernandes
The Portuguese continues to impress on all ends. Since his signing for United, he has been a massive influence in the squad and his goals have proven to be crucial for Ole Solskjaer and company. He has a respectable 11 league goals this season and given that he’s the only midfielder with that much goals, it shows just how good he has been. Either from the spot or from open play, he is a good shout to score for United. Much value comes with this man as Bet365 are offering 3.10 odds while Bet9ja have 3.25 odds for him to score.
Rashford
The Englishman also has a good scoring record in this fixture and he’s another good shout to score for United. With seven goals to his name this term, he has also come up with some goals a couple times. Rashford also has a thing for scoring winning goals and the stage could be set up for him to make his mark once again in this fixture. He is also another value tip with Bet365 offering 3.10 odds and Bet9ja offering an exciting 3.75 odds for him to find the back of the net.
Special Markets
VAR to be used – Yes
With Manchester United, VAR always seems to be just around the corner. Either from a disallowed goal or for a bad tackle or for any other reason at all, VAR seems to come up a lot in most of the Red Devils’ games. We fancy VAR could be used at least once at Anfield today.
Penalty given – Yes
Asides being the away kings, Manchester United are already growing a reputation of getting favored with penalties. Elsewhere, Salah is also one of the most fouled players in the league and could equally cause a penalty for his side. We have a hunch this game would at least see one penalty in the course of the 90 minutes. Bet365 and Bet9ja have 2.75 odds while 1xbet have theirs at 2.90.
Football Lover. All-round junkie of the beautiful game. Could be found watching football most of the time. If not he’s writing about them or making some punditry you don’t agree with. A certain bias for Arsenal and Santos FC.
