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Manchester United and Liverpool share one of the fiercest rivalries in the footballing world and both teams will lock horns on Sunday in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a match.
Say what you will about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but the Manchester United manager will lead his troops into battle against Liverpool as the more superior side this Sunday. It is not a feeling the Old Trafford faithful have been familiar with for a while but it is definitely one that they would like to get accustomed to again.
Manchester United sit second in the Premier League table, with confirming their spot in the Champions League next year remaining a mere formality. Liverpool, on the other hand, have huffed and puffed and are four points behind Chelsea, who sit fourth in the table with 58 points.
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Liverpool are winless in their last three matches and are in desperate need of all three points as they visit Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United produced a sensational second-half performance against AS Roma in midweek with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw heavily involved in the pillaging. They saw off the Italian side with relative ease, dispatching them 6-2 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie.
Despite their midweek endeavors, Manchester United are expected to put their best foot forward against arch-rivals Liverpool. Without further ado, let's take a look at how Manchester United will line up against Liverpool tomorrow.
Manchester United Goalkeeper
David de Gea played guardian of the sticks in midweek against AS Roma. But he hasn't kept for Manchester United in the Premier League since their game against Chelsea in February. Dean Henderson has been Manchester United's preferred choice in recent times and looks destined to stay that way for the future.
Dean Henderson has definitely been an improvement on De Gea this season. David de Gea's lack of command over his box has caused many a panicky situation inside the Manchester United penalty area. But Henderson has been more proactive about coming out to collect crosses and also about sweeping behind the defence.
Dean Henderson's distribution has also been far better than David de Gea's. He often kickstarts quick counters with his accurate throws and it will come in handy against Liverpool's high-press.
Manchester United defenders
There ought to be no surprises in defence. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been solid at the back of late and though they will want to start keeping more cleansheets, they are Solskjaer's best bet as the centre-back duo. Eric Bailly is fit and ready to go but he is unlikely to be given a start here.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has shown great improvement on the ball and is much more of a threat going forward these days. He will start at right-back and Liverpool will be wary of the fact that they might find little joy attacking down his side as Wan-Bissaka has proved time and again that he is one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league.
Luke Shaw has been one of the best players in the side this season. The improvement has been immense and from left-back, Shaw is an absolute creative force. He is the one that makes the team tick, and his driving runs and little give-and-gos with the likes of Rashford, Pogba and Bruno Fernandes are a treat to watch.
Manchester United midfielders
To counter Liverpool's energetic style, Manchester United will need a mobile midfield and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is once again expected to go with Fred and Scott McTominay. Fred is quite good at winning the ball back but will need to tidy up his passing. But his doggedness is crucial in games like these.
Scott 'anti-press' McTominay is improving as a footballer and his box-to-box role suits him well. McTominay's close control has become quite the thing to behold and he is becoming critical to Manchester United playing out from the back these days.
Ahead of Fred and McTominay, Solskjaer will have Bruno Fernandes in the number 10 role. Fernandes might seem a bit wasteful at times to the non-discerning viewer, but the man has all the tools to be the difference-maker. In fact, he was the difference-maker the last time the sides met in the FA Cup.
Bruno Fernandes was on fire against AS Roma, scoring two goals and providing two assists. Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford will play in free-roaming roles on either side of him and we expect them to interchange positions throughout the game.
Pogba has been playing some amazing football in recent times and is thriving in a more advanced role. Marcus Rashford has looked menacing going forward and he is on course to become one of the finest wingers in the game.
Manchester United forward
Edinson Cavani proved yet again what a top number 9 can do in the game against AS Roma. He was simply unstoppable on the night, bagging a brace and copping two assists. Fabrizio Romano has reported that he is now open to extending his contract with Manchester United, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperate for the striker to stay for another year.
However, having played the full 90 against AS Roma in midweek, there is a chance that Cavani might not start against Liverpool. Mason Greenwood has been in good goalscoring form and could start up top for Manchester United against Liverpool as the youngster has been in good form as well.
Edinson Cavani has scored five goals and provided two assists in his last five outings. Meanwhile, Greenwood has six goals and an assist in the last eight. Both strikers are in good form. The Uruguayan is Manchester United's best bet in a striking role and this is the kind of fixture he won't want to miss.
Also, against an unsettled Liverpool backline, Cavani's experience might come in handy and since he is almost certain not to play the full ninety minutes and as Greenwood is a great impact-sub, the Uruguayan might just be given the nod here.
Manchester United predicted lineup: Dean Henderson, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Fred, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani
