Manchester United vs Liverpool: 4 Tactical factors to watch out for

Manchester United face Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday in a crucial Premier League match. Liverpool are the table-toppers with 65 points from 26 matches, whereas United have 51 from the same number matches and are at the 4th position in the league table.

Apart from the traditional United-Liverpool rivalry, which happens to be the biggest one in English football, Sunday’s match is important for some other reasons too. A win on Sunday would boost Liverpool’s chances of winning the title considerably, as they would again open up a 3-point lead over City. On the other hand, United’s remarkable turnaround under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be completed should they beat Liverpool on Sunday.

We would take a look at the four tactical factors which would be crucial in determining the fate of the match.

#1 Liverpool would have to stop Paul Pogba

Pogba has been in ominous form for the last couple of months for United, and already has 14 goals and 8 assists in 32 matches this season. He has been given the freedom to attack and has utilized that opportunity to the fullest extent.

Pogba’s passing and shooting are of the highest standard, and he is a very dangerous player in the final third. Moreover, he also moves to the wings at times to deliver crosses, and that quality makes him a complete midfielder.

Liverpool would definitely be wary of him, and it would be interesting to see the strategy Juergen Klopp comes up with to stop him. Virgil Van Dijk returns for Liverpool after missing the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich because of suspension, and it would allow Fabinho to play as a defensive midfielder.

Fabinho should be entrusted with the unenviable job of stopping Pogba. He would have to play exceedingly well in order to do so because Pogba is very agile and slippery. Liverpool might play Giorginio Wijnaldaum instead of Jordan Henderson, as the former covers more ground and can play box-to-box.

Wijnaldaum might help Fabinho in stopping the marauding runs of Pogba, and Nabi Keita could be Liverpool’s third midfielder. However, it remains to be seen whether Pogba is good enough to outperform Liverpool’s midfielders.

#2 United would look to increase numbers is the final third

United supporters would hope that the attacking duo of Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard are fit to face Liverpool. If either of those two plays in Sunday’s game, United would start with a 4-3-3 formation, with Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku being the other two forwards.

However, if both of them are out of Sunday’s match, United might start with a 4-4-2 formation, with Rashford and Lukaku upfront and Juan Mata filling in as a side midfielder. Either way, United would want to have numerical superiority in the final third during their attacks, as they have had in most of their recent matches.

Pogba and Ander Herrera’s attacking instincts have allowed United to do so, and Liverpool midfielders would have to fall back very quickly in order to prevent it. Moreover, Liverpool usually do not play the high line too often, and the United players would have ample opportunities to make forays into the Liverpool penalty box.

Rashford, in particular, might get a few scoring opportunities if United are able to crowd the final third and thereby engage the Liverpool defenders. The agile Rashford might sneak through the gaps between the Liverpool defenders to get himself into a goal-scoring position quite often.

#3 Liverpool’s front three should prove their worth

Liverpool’s much-vaunted front three have not played very well in the last few matches and actually failed to score any goal at home against Bayern Munich. Mohamed Salah has scored 20 goals in the ongoing season so far, but struggled to find the net against big teams. He would still be the biggest threat to United’s defence on Sunday.

Sadio Mane has also not performed very well in the last few matches, and it is time for him to come good against quality opposition. Mane would have to more clinical in his approach, as he cannot afford to give the ball away by holding onto it for too long.

Roberto Firmino has impressed with his defensive work and link-up play this season, but more is expected from him as a striker. He is strong in the air and might look to score with a header from the set-pieces.

United’s centre-backs Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling/Phil Jones would have to be on their toes to stop the front three of Liverpool. Fullbacks Ashley Young and Luke Shaw defended very well against Chelsea in their 2-0 win and would have to repeat the act against Liverpool if United are to have any chance of winning the match.

Shaw, especially, would have to always be on guard against Salah. Lindelof should play as the left centre back and might play his part in stopping Salah’s runs through the inside-right channel. However, if Liverpool’s fullbacks overlap frequently and combine with their wingers, it would be difficult for the United defence to withstand that pressure.

#4 Ball-possession will be the key in the midfield

Both the teams have identical midfield formations to an extent and it would be an interesting battle in the midfield on Sunday. Nemanja Matic and Fabinho would stay in their respective halves most of the times, and give cover to their defenders, whereas Ander Herrera and Wijnaldaum would play box-to-box and help both the forwards and the defenders of United and Liverpool respectively.

However, Keita would have to step up his game for Liverpool, as he pales in comparison with the superb Pogba. Klopp could actually think of playing Adam Lallana in the midfield, as the latter has the ability to slow the game down and keep possession. He has 21 goals in 151 matches for Liverpool till date, and his experience could be useful in such a match.

United usually look a lesser side when they are unable to win back possession easily in the midfield, as quick retrieval of the ball allows their midfielders to go into the attack swiftly. Lallana’s inclusion in the Liverpool line-up might peg Herrera and Pogba back somewhat, as they would have to toil harder in order to win back possession. It might also nullify United’s attacking threat somewhat.

However, if Lallana plays in the midfield, Liverpool’s other two midfielders would have their task cut out in defence, as the former is not going to contribute much defensively.