Old Trafford, Manchester.
Sunday 20th October.
Kick-off: 16:30 (UK).
English Premier League.
TV: Sky Sports Premier League/Main Event (UK).
Manchester United take on arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford this weekend in what is the biggest match of the season so far.
Manc misery
The Red Devils have had a dreadful start to the season, their worst since 1989/90 in the old Division One where they picked up 8 points in eight games. A defeat here could see the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as manager. They were lacklustre in their previous match, a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle. However, a win here could kick-start their season as they will want to fight for a chance to play in next season’s Champions League. Currently, Man Utd are at 7/2 to win on Sunday.
Sublime Scousers
Liverpool, on the other hand, have made a flying start to their campaign by winning all eight of their matches so far and with the form of their opponents, will see no reason why they can’t stretch that to nine victories. If you think Liverpool will extend their 100% win record, STS are offering odds of 4/6. In the Alex Ferguson era, Man United were usually in this position with Liverpool often struggling for form and managers fighting for their jobs. Jurgen Klopp has transformed this side into one of the world’s best teams, and Liverpool fans will be hoping it’s now their time to dominate this rivalry.
Match preview
Liverpool can’t be complacent in this (or any) match, and they know Man United will do anything they can to win and inflict a first defeat of the season upon Liverpool. The first goal in this match could well be crucial. If Liverpool score first and early, the home crowd will get on the backs of the Man Utd players and they will be in for a long afternoon. For Man United to win, they need the match to be cagey, and they can’t give Liverpool space to attack. If they can limit the number of Liverpool chances and frustrate them, it’s entirely plausible that they can sneak an unexpected victory.
Injury news
Man Utd suffered a double injury blow during the week; their two star players De Gea and Paul Pogba will be out injured. They could be boosted by the returns of Wan-Bissaka, Shaw and Antony Martial, but Eric Bailly is still injured. Jurgen Klopp told reporters that Alisson Becker will return as goalkeeper and Joel Matip could also start whilst Xherdan Shaqiri may make the bench depending on progress made during the week; he has been out for 3 weeks with a calf injury.
H2H
Despite getting 4 points from Man United last season, Liverpool’s recent record against them is nothing special and the last Liverpool victory at Old Trafford was in 2014. Liverpool are 8/11 to get a first victory in five years at Old Trafford.
Betting tip
Considering the form of both sides and the injury problems of Manchester United, it’s difficult to look past a Liverpool victory. Expect Man Utd to make it difficult and to make the scoreline close, but we are tipping Liverpool to win by 1 goal at 12/5.
Whatever you bet on, enjoy the game and don’t forget that our prices are subject to fluctuation. Please check the STS Sports Betting page for the latest odds.