English Premier League: Liverpool vs. Manchester United Preview, Odds, Prediction

Liverpool meets Manchester United in the grand derby of the English Premier League this Sunday. Is there a better way to spend the afternoon than to watch these two soccer titans? Both the Reds and the Red Devils are the most successful English teams, and their rivalry is one of the best in the world. What increases the tension before this matchup is that United took over the first place from Liverpool during midweek, and the champions want it back as soon as possible.

Preview

Liverpool (-105) plays way below the expectations, which is why they haven’t won in the previous three matches. The Reds dropped points at home to WBA, 1-1, before posting a goalless draw in Newcastle. After that, Jurgen Klopp’s crew lost on the road to Southampton, 1-0.

As you see, Liverpool’s goal machinery couldn’t net once over the previous 180 minutes, which is something pretty rare since Klopp sat on its bench.

What is comforting for the home-team fans, are Liverpool’s home performances. They are the best side in the league when counting only those games, with seven wins and one draw, and a goal-difference 21-8.

Manchester United (+260) isn’t that convincing at home, but Solskjaer’s team is the best team on the road, with the same score – seven wins and a draw; goal difference 22-11.

They didn’t lose the last 10 EPL games, having 8 triumphs and two draws during that interval. What is especially important to stress out here, is United’s efficiency, with them scoring at least twice in seven of those events. The most recent road trip, against Burnely, was the first one in which the Red Devils haven’t been able to hit the back of the rivals’ net two times.

Fast transition and superb execution in counter-attacks are the trademarks of this team, with Bruno Fernandes orchestrating the team.

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Injuries overwhelmed Liverpool, especially in the defensive line. Joe Gomes, Tsimikas, Matip, and most importantly, Virgil Van Dijk are all out for this event. Besides these guys, Diogo Jota and Naby Keita too won’t play.

United too has big issues with injured players. Phil Jones and Marcus Rojo are definitely out, yet this isn’t something that bothers Ole. What is problematic for the Norwegian manager is the status of Matic, Martial, and Lindelof, who are all questionable for this event. Each one of these guys has an enormous influence on the field.

Head to Head Games

United has 88 wins over Liverpool, who posted 77 triumphs over its nemesis, with 67 games concluding with a draw. The Reds didn’t lose in the previous five games, recording three wins and two draws.

That is also the record in the previous five matches at Anfield with the note that United couldn’t score in four of them.

Prediction

Liverpool is in crisis, while United is on the surge. Yet this doesn’t mean that the Red Devils will win. Beating Liverpool even in this condition is one hell of a task, and we believe that Ole will not attack but be careful, securing his goal first and looking to attack later. Do know that one point from this matchup is an excellent deal for him. Liverpool is inefficient lately, and once we combine that and United’s defensive tactics, a bit lower efficiency than usual is the most logical choice – 2 or 3 goals at +100.

 

Here you have the preview for Serie A derby Inter Milan vs. Juventus