Liverpool vs Manchester United
Anfield forms the backdrop for a highly anticipated North West Derby between Premier League stalwarts Liverpool and Manchester United.
With a top-place finish in their Europa League group in the bag with a game to spare, Liverpool fielded an understrength lineup in a 2-1 defeat at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise midweek, saving precious strength and energy for this encounter. The ‘Reds’ humbled Man Utd 7-0 in this corresponding fixture last term, registering a fourth consecutive H2H clean sheet at Anfield (W3, D1). Each of their three wins in that sequence came by 2+ goal margins, which bodes well for their bid to maintain a formidable home record this season. Not only have Jurgen Klopp’s men won all 11 competitive matches at Anfield in 2023/24, but they intimidatingly netted 3+ goals on nine occasions, underscoring the potential for another demolition of ouf-of-sorts United.
A disappointing 1-0 home loss to Bayern Munich confirmed Manchester United’s unceremonious Champions League exit, condemning them to a bottom-place finish in Group A while intensifying pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. Memories of last weekend’s embarrassing 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth are still fresh as the ‘Red Devils’ take this ominously-looking trip looking to avoid a fifth consecutive scoring blank on road against a single opposition for the first time in the club’s history. United’s fortunes on Merseyside paint a bleak picture for Ten Hag, considering the last time the ‘Red Devils’ scored at Anfield, Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties in the aftermath of a 3-1 defeat in December 2018. Worryingly for the Dutchman, his men have gone winless in three of their last four away games across all competitions (D1, L2).