One of the biggest games in world football is edging ever-closer and it feels like the whole world be watching when Manchester United make the short trip to Anfield on Monday evening.
In what will be the biggest tie of the Premier League campaign so far, the bragging rights will be well and truly there for the taking but it’s on the pitch where both outfits will need to perform.
In Manchester United’s case, it’s a game that could yield three points to take them closer to the Premier League top-four. They currently sit in sixth place with thirteen points, which will need to be severely bettered in the coming weeks if they’re to achieve any success this season.
But these derbies are always hard to predict and sometimes, the form-book really does go out of the window.
So with that in mind, we’re predicting a Manchester United win against the Reds on Monday evening.
Here’s our Red Devils XI that we think will get all three points at Anfield…
GK: David De Gea
Quite an easy pick in this XI is David De Gea, who isn’t going to be threatened by anyone between the sticks for the game against Liverpool.
The Spanish international has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and he’ll be hoping to keep a clean sheet in this one.
RB: Antonio Valencia
You’ve got to give United full-back Antonio Valencia plenty of credit for the way he’s got back into this side under Jose Mourinho.
He wasn’t one of Van Gaal’s favourites but under Mourinho, he’s well preferred over more natural right-back Matteo Darmian.
Will be looking to get forward and get at James Milner throughout the match.
CB: Eric Bailly
Summer signing Eric Bailly has been seriously impressive following his £30million move from Villarreal.
He’s already been voted player of the month for August and at just 22-years-old, there is real hope the Ivorian international could become a long-serving member of this United team.
CB: Chris Smalling
England international Chris Smalling has enjoyed a real resurgence under Jose Mourinho and we’re finally seeing some of the form that earned him a transfer to United in the first place.
Alongside Eric Bailly, the pair look comfortable and they’ll have to be on top form against Liverpool – the Reds have some serious attacking threat going forward.
LB: Luke Shaw
It’s great to see Luke Shaw back and playing good football after a season of injury and recovery last term.
He has looked pretty good having come back into the first-team fold but his form could mean Daley Blind has to take a seat on the sidelines.
He’s a quick, direct full-back who will be looking to get forward to attack the Liverpool defenders.
CDM: Ander Herrera
Perhaps surprisingly for some, Ander Herrera’s inclusion in this team is arguably one of the easiest picks on the entire team-sheet.
The Spaniard has been in fantastic form and that was rewarded with a call-up to the Spanish national team for their World Cup qualifiers last week.
He’s been calm, composed and everything you need in a solid central-midfielder.
CDM: Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba finally showed us his potential in United’s 4-1 win over Leicester City back in September and we’re tipping him to do the business against Liverpool too.
The jury is still out in him as to whether his astronomical price tag was justified but against Liverpool, he’ll have the chance to show the world he’s worth every penny.
He needs to be dynamic, strong and energetic – Liverpool are a robust unit but Pogba can definitely help his side win this one.
RM: Marcus Rashford
Mkhitaryan is in contention for a starting berth for the game against Jurgen Klopp’s men but for us, Marcus Rashford must be given the nod.
He has been absolutely fantastic all season, biding his time and rewarding manager Jose Mourinho with goals and energy.
Unfortunately, we can’t fit him in upfront so, for this one, he might have to settle on a wider role.
CAM: Juan Mata
The biggest question surrounding this derby is whether Wayne Rooney will start and for us, he’s not in the starting XI.
Sitting in behind the striker should be Juan Mata, who has been in good form this season. He offers so much creativity going forward whilst Rooney has seemed a little negative at times when dropped to a deeper role.
LM: Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial’s vital goal to equalise against Stoke City a couple of weeks ago earns him a place in our starting lineup for the game against United.
Like a lot of the players in this side, he’s had to be patient but for this one, we think he’ll bring that little bit more directness than Lingard perhaps.
ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The stage is set and for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, these are the sorts of games he will have moved to England to compete in.
He’s a real champion and he’ll want to crush Liverpool as much as the travelling supporters will on the day. He’s got every chance of helping his side to victory too but he’ll need the service on the day.
When he’s having a good afternoon, Zlatan can be difficult to stop.
