It’s rivalry time again.
Manchester United take on Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. There isn’t quite as much at stake as it seemed there may be a couple of months ago, but even with European football all but wrapped up for both teams, it’s a fascinating matchup between the old rivals.
Here’s three points of focus for Manchester United against Liverpool this weekend.
Out of Possession
This squad isn’t made for pressing high, but there’s also the pressure to take the game to the opposition at home,
and United have struggled with this tension in the last two home games. The openness was reminiscent of some of the games under Erik ten Hag. No matter how off the pace Liverpool might be at the moment, they still have some fine players going forward. United need to stay compact in this game before taking their chances in attack.
Ayden Heaven and Harry Maguire
Ayden Heaven has impressed in Martinez’s absence, with the Argentine set to serve the final game of his three-match suspension against Liverpool. The two centre-backs showed that they have the makings of a decent pairing in the last game, with a lot of last-ditch tackles and interceptions in an open game. If they can stand another test, there’ll be a temptation to stick with this pairing.
Mohammed Salah
This will be the Egyptian’s last game at Old Trafford as a Liverpool player. His record against United and at Old Trafford, as United fans are well aware, is quite remarkable. He’ll certainly want to leave on a high note, and despite his waning powers, he showed against Everton that he can still produce at the highest level.
