Manchester United v Liverpool

Manchester United v Liverpool – Live on Sky Sports 530pm UK Time 

The two biggest rivals in English football meet at Old Trafford for an early evening clash of the titans live on Sky Sports. For teams who currently lie 5^th and 7^th in the table there is a lot of doom and gloom surrounding both camps as we head into this game.  

Signing a player for £36m seems to have only depressed United fans as they seem to believe they have been ripped off over the transfer fee and shown their hierarchy up as being naïve and desperate. The pressure has already been taken off of Anthony Martial though as Louis van Gaal has publicly stated that Martial has been purchased for his successor.  Liverpool come into this game on the back of that home defeat at the hands of West Ham which was the Hammers’ first win at Anfield since 1963. It was not necessarily the result but the manner of the humiliating 3-0 loss that has caused such anger towards Brendan Rodgers and they need to bounce back quickly.

I lean slightly towards the home team on the match market but I do sense there could be a bit of value on the goal line. This game is always played in a red hot atmosphere at whatever time of day it is played but a 530pm kick off on a Saturday should lead to a loud and ‘well oiled’ crowd getting into the action. The goal line is set at just 2.25 but the last fifteen EPL meetings of the sides have seen the over 2.5 goals hit at a rate of 12-3 with two half losses and just one full loss. “They are different teams this season” I hear you cry and it is fair to say that both sides do not look to have the potency of their predecessors.  It is also fair to say that we know how both teams will set up and that both sides have trended towards the under this season as both are 3-1 to the under 2.5 goals. Add to that the fact that Philip Coutinho is suspended for Liverpool and that Wayne Rooney has scored only five goals in his twenty two games against Liverpool then you can see why the oddsmakers have the line set at just 2.25 goals. 

This is a massive derby game and often even the best willed tactical intentions go out of the window once the whistle blows. For a meeting of two teams in the higher echelons of the Premiership there will be a relatively large contingent of English players on show. These players are even more likely to get swept away with the emotion of this fixture as opposed to the more tactical approach displayed their continental counterparts. With that quarter goal built in as a little bit of protection should the game fall on two goals I am happy to take a small bit of the over 2.25 goals in what should be a cracker of a game to start your Saturday night. 

Selection

Back over 2.25 goals