Liverpool will welcome Manchester United in front of a roaring crowd at Anfield for a significant North-West derby that will push the winners up in the Premier League table.
LIV vs MUN Match Details
Date: Sunday, 5 March 2023
Time: 17:30 (BST) / 22:00 (IST)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
LIV vs MUN Match Preview
Liverpool
Liverpool lived it late but got a crucial 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield to get within two points of a European spot and six points from the top four. Virgil Van Dijk scored from Diogo Jota’s pass in the 73rd minute after his initial header from a free-kick was saved by Jose Sa. Mohamed Salah scored the match-settler soon after with his 127th Premier League goal now just one game away from equaling Robbie Fowler in becoming the Reds' highest scorer in the competition. Darwin Nunez’s goal before the Reds legitimately got on the scoresheet was disallowed with Diogo Jota adjudged to have fouled Wolves defender Max Kilman by VAR in the build-up. Their run of four Premier League games unbeaten with wins in three started after the humiliating 3-0 loss at Molineux. So, the revenge tasted sweet.
Mohamed Salah is now one of the top 5 scorers for goals in Europe’s top five leagues since the 2017/2018 season. #lfc [sky sports via football daily] pic.twitter.com/0v84g3Pt1M
They now face arch-rivals and a buoyant Manchester United team for back-to-back games at Anfield within days. The Reds were overly inconsistent the season so far, falling from their lofty standards and having a huge deficit to cover against Real Madrid to stay in the Champions League. So, the momentum from this period of not losing games and keeping clean sheets has been handy to refigure everything again. Beating Red Devils will be a morale-boosting one considering their unruffled recent record at home in this fixture. Liverpool thrashed United 4-0 in the last meeting at Anfield last year but a lot has changed since. Erik Ten Hag’s men are firing on all cylinders and are proving hard to stop which could prove detrimental to the record of one defeat in the last 35 top-flight games for the Reds at this venue.
Manchester United
Manchester United returns to Premier League action since beating Leicester City 3-1 at Old Trafford two weeks ago with a huge game against Liverpool. The Red Devils were involved in the second-leg Europa League playoff match against FC Barcelona after that with the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle in the resulting weekend and a FA Cup fifth-round tie with West Ham, all of which they won. It was a bit of a struggle in the midweek fixture with Hammers taking the lead in the 54th minute but an own goal from Naif Aguerd and late strikes from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred took United through to the quarterfinals where they will face another Premier League side in Fulham.
2+ - @ManUtd have scored 2+ goals in each of their last 12 games in all competitions; only between January and April in 1959 have they ever gone on a longer run of scoring multiple goals in consecutive games (13). Potent. pic.twitter.com/L8QhnOciI9
Facing Jurgen Klopp’s side at the weekend is a challenge because of a reversal of form from the home side over the last few games in the Premier League. Manchester United also haven’t won in their last six trips to Anfield and scored only once in the last seven visits. They are winless in their last seven away games against Premier League’s so-called ‘Big Six’ too. However, their recent big game wins and their tally of 23 points league since the World Cup last year more than any other side in the league should play a positive factor on Sunday. United also properly started the revolutionary era of Erik Ten Hag with a 2-1 win against Liverpool in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford with them looking to double over their rivals for the first time since the 2015/16 season.
Recent Form (all competitions)
LIV: WDLWW
MUN: WWWWD
Recent Form (Premier League)
LIV: WDWWL
MUN: WWDWL
LIV vs MUN Team News
Liverpool will have the same squad available to them from the midweek win over the Wolves. Joe Gomez (muscle), Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Luis Diaz (knee) continue to be out but will get involved this month at the earliest. Jordan Henderson could make the 400th start of his Liverpool career, while Virgil van Dijk is in line for a 150th Premier League appearance since joining the club.
Erik ten Hag said Luke Shaw could be available again after missing the FA Cup win over West Ham with a knock. Jadon Sancho was also not involved due to illness and a late call will be made on him for the clash on weekend. Frenchman Anthony Martial returned to training earlier in the week from a hip injury that kept him out for a long time. He is still not fit enough to make the playing squad.
LIV vs MUN Predicted Lineups
LIV: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Stefan Bajcetic; Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez
MUN: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst
LIV vs MUN Head to head
Liverpool won - 80
Draws - 68
Manchester United won - 90
Liverpool has won 11 North-West derbies at Anfield in the Premier League and did not suffer any loss in this meeting since the one in 2016. Wayne Rooney was the scorer in the 1-0 win for Manchester United on that occasion, the last time they left Anfield with full points.
LIV vs MUN Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Alisson (7.5)
DEF: Trent (8), Van Dijk (8), Lisandro (7.5), Shaw (8)
MID: Salah (9), Casemiro (8), B Fernandes (8.5)
FW: Nunez (8.5), Gakpo (8), Rashford (9)
Vice-captain: Mohamed Salah
Captain: Marcus Rashford
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