EPL 2018-19: Manchester United vs Liverpool: Preview and prediction
What's the story
Manchester United will be hosting Liverpool tomorrow in their English Premier League match at Old Trafford. United lost their previous fixture against the Merseysiders with a scoreline of 3-1 and will want to exact revenge upon their biggest Premier League rivals. Sparks are bound to fly when the two most successful teams in England clash. Here's our detailed match preview.
Manchester United
How are United looking ahead of the encounter?
United will be looking for their 12th win in 14 matches under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They have remained undefeated in nine consecutive league matches and will want to carry on their run. Lingard and Martial might return tomorrow into the starting lineup. However, Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo are still out with injuries.
Liverpool
Are Liverpool ready for the challenge?
Dejan Lovren (hamstring), Joe Gomez (ankle) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) will be out of the action tomorrow due to injuries. After staying out of their Bayern Munich clash, Virgil van Dijk will return to the fold once again tomorrow. If Mane scores, he will become the fifth player in Liverpool history to score in five consecutive EPL matches.
Key players
Who will be the key players in the match tomorrow?
For United, David de Gea will be the main man to stop Liverpool's lethal front-three from scoring. Pogba in midfield, and Martial, Rashford, and Mata in attack will be the key players to try and break down Liverpool's defense. For Liverpool, in-form van Dijk and Alisson will be key in defense, while Salah, Firmino, and Mane will have to get goals.
TV listing
Predicted lineup and TV listing
Manchester United: De Gea; Young, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Mata, Rashford, Martial. Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane. The match is scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 PM and will be broadcast on Star Sports 1/HD. It can also be live-streamed on the Hotstar website and mobile app.
Prediction
How can the match turn out tomorrow?
The match will be a tight affair as this a rivalry of epic proportions. Liverpool should give in their everything for a win as it would take them a comfortable three points above Manchester City. However, it will hardly be easy as United are on a great run themselves and will want a win against their rivals at home. We predict 2-1 to United.
Fantasy XI
What should be the ideal Fantasy XI for the match?
Choose de Gea as the goalkeeper keeping a 4-3-3 formation in mind. Van Dijk and Lindelof can be the central defenders as Young and Robertson take up the left and right back roles respectively. Wijnaldum, Pogba, and Matic can be the midfielders while Salah, Rashford, and Firmino lead the attack.