Manchester United v Liverpool: Ole’s At the Wheel in Bid to Halt Kop Charge

The latest excerpt of the Premier League title battle and top four challenge takes place on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford – kick-off 14:05 GMT – as Liverpool make the short trip up the East Lancashire Road to face Manchester United in a crucial clash for both teams with contrasting reasons.

Liverpool are locked in a tense battle with Manchester City – with both level on points – at the top of the Premier League standings, with the red half of Merseyside’s only advantage being that City has played one league game more this season. A victory in this game would be a real statement of intent from Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Following the 3-1 defeat at Anfield, Manchester United called time on Jose Mourinho’s tenure as manager and quickly installed former United great, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as temporary boss. The turnaround in results has been astonishing. The Red Devils have won nine out of ten league games since the Norwegian’s appointment, alongside FA Cup victories at Arsenal and Chelsea. Only a 2-0 home defeat by PSG in the Champions League is Solskjaer’s solitary blemish in 13 outings.

The long-standing rivalry between the two clubs is only part of the importance of this fixture. Liverpool are desperately chasing their first title win in 29 years, while United have their own agenda, in not only putting the brakes on Liverpool’s league bid, but to help strengthen their position within the top four.

Match Odds

The early pre-match betting for this game has seen significant interest in the home side, as virtually every layer has contracted their odds on a United win on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United are still the bookmakers’ idea of second favourites however, as SportingBet go top price of another win for Solskjaer’s side at 21/10. Liverpool are on the drift following the surge of bets on United, and can be backed at their best available odds of 36/25 with Unibet, while several including, Unibet, and 188BET go top price on a drawn full-time result at 13/5.

The current form between these two teams has to be taken into context when deciding upon the winner of this hugely important fixture. Before the appointment of Solskjaer, this would have been an easier task for Liverpool, but considering the incredible turnaround in United’s fortunes, this is a very difficult game for the Merseysiders. Liverpool have not performed with their usual dynamism in attack in recent games – barring a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth two weeks ago, and they could be vulnerable. United are the value pick in this game.

Individual Goal Scorers

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

Firstly, if punters wish to stake their hard-earned cash on a First Goalscorer bet on the joint-leading Premier League goalscorer Mohamed Salah, then BetFred should be their first option as the firm go top price on the Egyptian international striker.

Salah is a generally available 4/1 chance to open the scoring at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, but BetFred beat the rest by going 5/1 on the former Roma man to score first.

United’s main strike threat is likely to come from Marcus Rashford, who was recently crowned Premier League Player of the Month. is also freely available at 11/2, but Betway are top-price of 13/2 on the England hitman.

Salah’s strike partner, Sadio Mane can be had with 10Bet at 13/2, which are the best odds on offer for the Senegalese international forward.

Manchester United midfield man, Paul Pogba has been in scintillating form since Solskjaer’s appointment with nine goals from 12 appearances and is 7/1 with Unibet and SportPesa – to silence the away following and score first.

Others to consider at bigger prices would be Liverpool’s James Milner, who has been a player I’ve tipped before – and at 16/1 with Ladbrokes and William Hill he is worthy of consideration once again as Liverpool’s penalty taker.

Ander Herrera has become an integral figure under the new management structure at Old Trafford in recent weeks, and the Spanish international, can be considered to open the scoring in this high-profile game. RedZoneSports and 10Bet are the best odds of 28/1 on a potentially high-priced winner.

Other Side Bets

Two bets at shorter prices that are worth considering are Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals. The former market has the standout odds of 4/6 with William Hill for each team to find the net. Neither team will wish to take a back step in this game, and goals look to be likely at either end of the pitch. Over 2.5 Goals is a slightly more tentative selection, but 188Bet’s odds of 21/25 offers some value.

Our next offering is for Manchester United to win the match and both teams to score. William Hill are once again at the peak of interest in this market at the tempting price of 9/2.

The final selection for this game is our obligatory Correct Score bet, with the advice to back Manchester United to prevail over Liverpool 2-1. SportPesa are the standout layer of this outcome of 11/1.

Best Bets:

• Marcus Rashford to be the First Goalscorer at 13/2 with Betway
• Manchester United to win the Match and Both Teams to Score at 9/2 with William Hill
• Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool Correct Score bet at 11/1 with SportPesa