Manchester United vs Liverpool 24/02/19

24 February 2019

Weekend’s Premier League action concludes with a blockbuster, heavyweight showdown at Old Trafford as an in-form Manchester United take on the Premier League title pretenders Liverpool.

The Red Devils have been impressive ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer landed at the bench, registering 11 wins in 13 clashes across all competitions (W11, D1, L1). Although they were expected to lose the balance following a 2-0 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, the English giants have managed to bounce back swiftly, clinching a significant 2-0 road victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup. A strong run of form that has seen them win eight of nine PL games under the Norwegian manager has brought Man Utd on the verge of securing the Champions League promotion, as they currently sit fourth, with a 1-point lead over fifth-placed Arsenal. Under Solskjaer’s tutelage, the Red Devils have regained their ‘killer instinct’ in the final third, scoring 2+ match goals in five of six home outings across all competitions. However, they are yet to fix their defensive problems that have seen them concede in five of their last six competitive home meetings.

On the other hand, Liverpool’s mediocre performances in the last three Premier League fixtures (W1, D2) have allowed Manchester City to take over the top spot although the Reds still have one game in hand. Desperate to avoid the faith of Brendan Rodgers, Jurgen Klopp is well aware that this clash could be a turning point in Liverpool’s title chase. The visitors come into this meeting off the back of an exhausting goalless CL draw with Bayern Munich, which was the third time in their previous four competitive games the Merseysiders have failed to bag over 1.5 goals per match. What’s more, Liverpool’s recent road form can’t encourage Klopp either, considering his man have failed to wrap up all three points on three of their last four road trips across all competitions (W1, D1, L2). In the same period, Mo Salah and Co. have scored exactly one goal per game, conceding 2+ match goals twice in the process.