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Manchester United’s run of difficult fixtures continues on Sunday against arch rivals Liverpool. The last time the scousers came to Old Trafford leading a title charge was in 2014 when they left with a 3-0 win over David Moyes’ weak United side. Now they’re one again in need of points, and they need a win to regain their narrow lead in the race for the Premier League title. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United will prove a much tougher opponent than the side Liverpool faced 5 years ago.
Despite a tough 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain the Reds bounced back in style with a 2-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round. The Reds have finally clawed their way back into the top four, and with Champions League football on the line next season they won’t be looking to take their foot off the gas any time soon.
The Busby Babe wants to get your hot takes on the big game this Sunday. Please vote in the polls and engage in some healthy debate in the comments!
Tactics
The loss at Anfield in December saw United under siege for much of the game. United seemed under instruction to defend, leading to an abysmal 3-1 loss. José Mourinho lost his job days later.
What do you expect from Ole’s United against Liverpool?
Poll
What do you expect from Manchester United tactically vs. Liverpool?
This poll is closed
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27%
Attack, Attack, Attack!
(43 votes) -
40%
High pressure for goals, sit back on the lead late
(62 votes) -
29%
Adapt to Liverpool’s approach, then pressure for win
(46 votes) -
2%
Other (Comment)
(4 votes)
Defensive lineup
Solskjaer has gotten more experimental with the back line in recent games. He’s sent out 3 different units in 3 straight games, including pairings of Jones-Smalling, Lindelöf-Bailly, and Lindelöf-Smalling. Which centre back pairing do you think we’ll see against Liverpool on Sunday?
Poll
Which Centre Back pairing will Solskjaer send out against Liverpool?
This poll is closed
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5%
Jones-Smalling
(9 votes) -
9%
Lindelof-Jones
(16 votes) -
31%
Lindelof-Bailly
(54 votes) -
52%
Lindelof-Smalling
(89 votes) -
0%
Other (Comment)
(1 vote)
Injuries
Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were both unavailable for the FA Cup fixture at Chelsea due to muscle injuries suffered against PSG. There are rumors that United are hopeful they will be fit for the weekend, but should it be risked even if they are somewhat healthy for the tie?
Poll
If declared fit, should Solskjaer risk starting Martial or Lingard off of injuries against Liverpool?
Midfield
With Martial and Lingard out Solskjaer was forced to change things up a bit in the starting 11. Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata came into the side, and the lineup was initially reported as a 4-3-3, but early in the match Mata shifted in behind Marcus Rashford and Lukaku, forming a diamond midfield. the strategy worked well, and Chelsea’s midfield went missing for most of the game. Eden Hazard struggled to create and get his teammates involved, and Chelsea were shut down in the second half despite maintaining most of the possession.
If injuries persist should Solskjaer try something similar on Sunday?
Poll
Should Solskjaer stick with the midfield diamond used against Chelsea?
Match Prediction
Give us your match prediction for the big game this Sunday.
Poll
Predict the result for Manchester United vs Liverpool.
This poll is closed
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11%
Big United win
(22 votes) -
49%
Close United win
(96 votes) -
19%
Draw
(38 votes) -
14%
Close Liverpool win
(28 votes) -
5%
Big Liverpool win
(11 votes)
Thanks for voting, and be sure to leave your score prediction and any other hot takes on the big match in the comments below!