Two fierce rivals clash as second place Manchester United face sixth place Liverpool at 20:15 this Thursday evening. Last seasons champions Liverpool are likely to miss out on top four football so Manchester United will be looking to end any hopes their adversaries may have left.
This match was originally scheduled to be played on 02/05/21 but due to mass fan protests at Old Trafford the game was ultimately rescheduled. Thousands of Manchester United fans gathered at the ground to protest against the current ownership, groups of supporters even managed to get onto the pitch which is why the game was abandoned.
Manchester United have had a great season as they look set to finish second in the league, however it is bitter sweet as rivals Manchester City have already been crowned champions with three games remaining. Liverpool have had a torrid time this season with countless injuries and set backs which have left them on course to miss out on Champions League football.
Head to head
The last time these two titans clashed the game resulted in a 3-2 win for Manchester United in the FA cup whilst in their last Premier League fixture the game ended goalless. The historical rivalry between United and Liverpool cannot be understated with games in the past being full of passion and fury it is however United who have won more of these clashes with 89 wins under their belts.
Players to watch
Manchester United - Edinson Cavani 🇺🇾 United certainly aren't lacking attacking talent and it would be easy to highlight superstar Bruno Fernandes however Uruguayan striker Cavani is an excellent pick. Only days ago Cavani signed a contract extension with the club thanks to an impressive first season in Manchester. The former PSG forward has scored fifteen goals in all competitions this season and even at the age of thirty four is looking like a dangerous option for Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side.
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah 🇪🇬 Egyptian forward Salah has been the jewel in Jürgen Klopp's side for many years now and this season is no different. Twenty Premier League goals to his name which is only bettered by Spurs Harry Kane is a brilliant tally however a disappointing season for the club puts a damper on things. Salah has scored in three of his last five league games and is no doubt the man Manchester United will be looking to keep quiet.
Managers thoughts
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær spoke highly of Edinson Cavani after his contract extension was confirmed "He comes in every day, he does everything right. The boys will look at him. He gives us a no.9 position. I don’t know how many games we’ll get out of him but, of course, he’s one of the best no.9s in the world at the moment.”
Solskjær also mentioned his intentions for the match after a disappointing defeat to Leicester on Thursday "It’s about managing the squad now and building momentum, building confidence, making sure we get enough points to get second and then going into the final confident.”
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp made reference to his sides often inconsistent form “We could never get that feeling of a winning streak. That is the situation. We know that. The plan is to give it a proper try tomorrow.”
Klopp also spoke of the issues around fixtures being rearranged “We are late in the season, all the players played a lot of games. United went to the Europa League final so that means an awful lot of games and now you get Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. That is not possible."
Preview analysis
This clash will be one to watch with Liverpool somewhat off form and out of the Champions League, United will be looking to capitalise. United come into this game with a mixed bag themselves with two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five games in all competitions. It is easy to downplay the quality of Liverpool but when they get firing with a front line of Mané, Firmino and Salah with Diego Jota also available they are certainly a threat. Personally I see this game to be a more even game than the league table might suggest as though Manchester United are thirteen points ahead of Liverpool with these kinds of fixtures form is almost irrelevant.
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