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Manchester United will travel to Anfield on Tuesday night to face their bitter rivals Liverpool with a lot on the line.
While the Merseyside club are hoping to keep up with Manchester City in the Premier League title race, the Red Devils are keen on securing a top-four spot.
Ralf Rangnick has not enjoyed a particularly solid interim tenure at the club but a victory against the Reds could change the opinion of a lot of people around the red half of Manchester.
Manchester United will look to spoil the Premier League title race for Liverpool
Liverpool are arguably Manchester United's biggest rivals and the Red Devils will not want them to win the league title at any cost. So if they do have a chance to ruin the chances of the Reds winning any sort of silverware, Rangnick & co. shall do everything in their power to do so. But given their recent form, coupled with Liverpool's imperious form, Rangnick will need his best players to show up.
On that note, let's take a look at how Manchester United will line-up against Liverpool.
GK- David de Gea
David de Gea has comfortably been the most consistent player at Manchester United this season. It is quite bizarre to imagine that he might not have been the club's No. 1 had Dean Henderson not been diagnosed with Covid-19 at the start of the season.
But it all worked out for the Spaniard and he has proven his case time and again this season. The shot-stopper was also perhaps the man of the match in the game against Liverpool back in October despite conceding five goals.
The club's recent 3-2 victory against Norwich was also down to his incredible performance in goal, not to mention Cristiano Ronaldo's sublime hat-trick.
De Gea will be tasked with keeping a clean sheet against a Liverpool side that have scored in all 31 games of their season so far.
CB- Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire has been criticized for several reasons this season but it only takes one game to right the wrongs of this awful campaign.
The Englishman has looked off the pace this season after a tiring 2020/21 campaign. But Rangnick has retained his faith in the club captain and a statement performance against Liverpool, albeit unlikely, could be massive for Maguire.
The centre-back was majorly at fault for the 5-0 thumping by the Reds in October but could turn the tables on Tuesday night with a resolute display.
CB- Victor Lindelof
Victor Lindelof has been one of Manchester United's best centre-backs this season and rightly so. He is calm in possession and his distribution from the back is severely underrated.
The Swede will have to keep a close eye on the shuffling trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota. But the centre-back reads the game brilliantly and with a little help from Maguire, they could neutralize Liverpool's attack.
Lindelof will be keen on ending the season on a strong note and a victory against Liverpool could help Manchester United in securing a top-four finish.
RB- Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has had quite a start-stop season this term, with Rangnick alternating between the Englishman and Diogo Dalot in the last couple of months.
But the German boss has opted for the former Crystal Palace defender against teams from the top half of the table and Tuesday might not be any different. Wan-Bissaka does not provide the same attacking impetus as Dalot but is more defensively sound than the Portuguese full-back.
With Mane in incredible form, Wan-Bissaka has his job cut out for him and will need to produce his best performance in the mid-week tie.
LB- Alex Telles
With Luke Shaw sidelined for the rest of the campaign, Alex Telles has had to step up for Manchester United for the better part of 2022.
The Brazilian is certainly a quality option and has quite a lot of experience playing against top teams. His fitness and stamina levels against Salah will be key, especially since the Egyptian will be keen on bagging a goal against Manchester United.
Telles shall need to run ragged on Tuesday if he is to come out on top on the left flank against Liverpool.
CDM- Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic has announced his decision to leave Manchester United at the end of the season and will be eager to complete the season on a positive note.
Defeating Liverpool and securing a top-four finish will certainly signify the same. With Scott McTominay and Fred ruled out for the game on Tuesday, Matic will need to protect the backline effectively against Liverpool.
The Serbian is capable of putting in a shift on his best day and Rangnick will demand the same from the 33-year-old star.
CM- Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba has endured quite a mixed season. The Frenchman has the fourth highest assists (nine) in the Premier League this season but was also out with an injury for the better part of three months.
He could also be departing Old Trafford in the summer but is perhaps keen on ending his tenure at the club on a good note.
The 29-year-old ace will certainly have something to prove against Liverpool, especially after he was sent off within ten minutes of coming in the 5-0 defeat in October.
Pogba is a quality midfield option and shall be a key orchestrator for Manchester United against their bitter rivals on Tuesday.
CM- Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has had a lackluster season by his standards, even though he does have nine goals and six assists in 30 Premier League appearances.
But the Portuguese star has been unable to replicate his form from the first half of the season, when he created countless chances for his side. Regardless, he is a difference maker in the big games and Liverpool will be wary of the threat he carries.
Fernandes can unlock most defenses in the Premier League and shall need to do the same against the second-best defense in the league this season.
RW- Anthony Elanga
Anthony Elanga played quite a lot of football in 2022, thanks to the faith instilled in him by Rangnick. The German has been a fan of the young winger's high-intensity performances.
A perfect example of the same was on display during the 3-2 victory against Norwich City on Saturday. Elanga pressurized the opposition defender into making a mistake, which eventually led to the opening goal.
The 19-year-old ace has a lot of potential and could provide a different threat to the Liverpool backline.
LW- Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho turned a new leaf in 2022 and is producing far more convincing performances. His goal in the Manchester derby in March was evidence of the same, despite the fact that the Red Devils lost that game 4-1.
But Sancho has been a positive influence on the side as he has been creating chances, getting into dangerous areas and pressing from the front. His defensive work has also been excellent.
The Englishman will now have to bust a gut for 90 minutes against Liverpool on Tuesday if he hopes to penetrate a backline that rarely makes any errors.
ST- Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be Manchester United's main man this season, as evident by his hat-trick against Norwich at the weekend. Although the Canaries are at the bottom of the league table, a victory was essential for the Red Devils to have an outside shot at finishing in the top-four.
The Portuguese legend will be eager to solidify those chances by defeating Liverpool on Tuesday, which is no easy task.
Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip have been arguably the best centre-back pairing in Europe this season. Getting past them, not to mention Alisson, is a garangutan task. But if there is anybody capable of producing the unthinkable, it is Ronaldo.
The 37-year-old striker will be pumped for Tuesday night's game as the Red Devils look to turn their campaign around.
