12 Jun 2019
It was a case of mixed fortunes in Europe midweek, where Liverpool won to secure their place in the knockout stages whilst United lost in Valencia and in doing so missed out on the chance to finish top of their group.
Jose Mourinho heads into this game against Liverpool with nearly a full line-up of players unavailable, whilst Romelu Lukaku fired another blank in Spain and also failed to even register a shot on target. Here we take a look at the betting ahead of the clash at Anfield.
Injury Crisis
Manchester United could be without as many as nine first team players on Sunday. Seven of those players did not travel to Valencia for Wednesday’s game, while another two have since joined the group in the treatment room. The likes of Sanchez, Rojo, Smalling, Lindelof, Darmian, Martial and Dalot are all set to be unavailable for selection. United’s injury woes combined with Liverpool’s home form are certainly reflected in the betting with the Red Devils a 5/1 outsider to get the three points.
Honours Even
There has been little to separate these sides in recent years. In fact, four out of the last five meetings between the two teams have ended in a draw and you can back another draw here at 16/5. It has been over five years since Liverpool last won at home to United in the league and if they are to end that run at the weekend, Mo Salah will surely play a part. The Egyptian forward has netted four times in his last two games in all competitions and appears back to his fine goal scoring form dating back to last season. You can get Salah to score anytime at 10/11 with a brace available at 4/1.
England Trio Confirmed for Start
When Marcus Rashford scored a brace at Old Trafford in March against this weekend’s opponents, that marked a 68th league defeat for Liverpool against Manchester United – the highest amount they’ve ever suffered against a single opponent. Jurgen Klopp will be especially wary of the threat the young forward poses now that Mourinho appears to have confirmed that Rashford will start at Anfield, alongside his England counterparts Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young. Punters have got to be taking notice of Rashford to score first available at 10/1.
Unsettled Dressing Room
The feeling of doom and gloom around the Manchester club continues to gather. The 2-1 defeat United suffered in Spain was far from ideal preparation heading into this game, despite the fact Mourinho rotated much of his squad. The manager again came out in criticism of his players post-match, claiming he “did not learn anything” from the defeat. And Mourinho has distanced himself from his agent’s comments regarding his commitment to the club. All of these factors, coupled with United’s mixed form coming into the game are indicated in the betting with Liverpool favourites at 4/7.
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