Heavyweight rivals Manchester United & Liverpool clash in FA Cup crunch tie
15th March 2024 – by Ross Barker
· Manchester United and Liverpool clash for the 15th time in FA Cup history
· Red Devils can salvage poor season by progressing to latter stages of the competition
· Klopp’s Liverpool remain in contention for four trophies and are in sparkling form of late
Our prediction is Liverpool to win 1-2
MATCH PREVIEW
Few matchups in world football draw the viewership numbers or evoke as much passion as Manchester United against Liverpool. It has been one of the great rivalries of English football, and now our attentions turn to a meeting in a competition they have won on 20 occasions combined.
Manchester United have lifted the famous FA Cup trophy on 12 occasions, only behind Arsenal in that respect, but enter this all-important tie off the back of a disappointing season so far. The Red Devils sit 6th in the Premier League table, with only a slim chance of overcoming both Tottenham and Aston Villa to claim a traditional Champions League spot for next season.
Their clearest path to salvation would be to win the FA Cup, after reaching the final last May only to lose to Manchester City in the process. It’s a tall ask considering the up-and-down performances Erik ten Hag’s men have turned in this season.
As for Liverpool, we know that this will be the last dance for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, with the talismanic boss moving on in the summer.
That only seems to have spurred him and his players on in recent times – they sit within touching distance of the Premier League summit, have secured safe passage to the FA Cup and Europa League quarterfinals, and already have the Carabao Cup in the bag.
Eight-time winners of this famous cup competition, Liverpool will be eyeing another date at Wembley in the near future, especially with their recent record over their fierce rivals.
While a repeat of the 7-0 drubbing Liverpool inflicted over United 12 months ago is unlikely, Klopp’s Reds enter this one as favourites.
However, although their last content was a rare goalless draw, with Liverpool highly dominant, it’s likely both teams will score in what promises to be an exciting cup tie at Old Trafford.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Reasons to be cheerful:
· Rasmus Hojlund likely to return to starting XI after injury lay-off
· Have beaten Liverpool in 10 of their previous 14 FA Cup meetings
Reasons to be fearful:
· Conceded 21 goals in their last six meetings with Liverpool
· Often switch from one good result to bad in an inconsistent season
Manchester United have a long-standing romance with the FA Cup that could lift their performance this weekend. They play in a record 48th quarter-final in this particular competition, while they are aiming for a record-extending 32nd appearance in the semis.
Memories of this grand old football club in the FA Cup recall Ryan Giggs’ sublime solo goal in their treble-winning 1998-99 season, or Eric Cantona’s last-ditch winner in the 1996 final against, you guessed it, Liverpool.
We know all about United’s troubles under Ten Hag’s stewardship this season – it took just 21 games for the Red Devils to suffer their 10th defeat of the campaign, the earliest that’s happened in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Added to that has been a constant stream of criticism from all-comers regarding their turgid style of play and lack of structure. All this, despite commanding one of the most expensive squads English football has ever seen.
They enter this match in better form, however, with seven wins from their past nine in all competitions, although not all have been convincing. Rare bright sparks have come from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, both academy graduates.
In a boost to Ten Hag’s ailing squad, Rasmus Hojlund is set to return to the starting line-up having netted seven and assisted two in his last six appearances. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire also stand a chance of being passed fit after respective injuries.
At Old Trafford, United must rely on their home support to create an atmosphere to help their players overcome what is set to be a big challenge.
Star Man – Bruno Fernandes
The United captain often comes in for criticism about his conduct on the field, and it doesn’t help that his performance levels have dropped this season. Nevertheless, he loves a big occasion and has scored or assisted in each of his last six FA Cup appearances.
LIVERPOOL
Reasons to be cheerful
· Reds average almost three goals per game over last 10 matches
· Kept clean sheets in six of their last nine against United
Reasons to be fearful
· Could fixture congestion hamper fitness levels here?
· Have been eliminated by United on a club-record 10 FA Cup occasions
The momentum seems to be in Liverpool’s court right now, and everything is set for a grandstand finish to Jurgen Klopp’s time as Reds’ manager.
After announcing his decision to step aside from the club in the summer, and take a break from football altogether, Liverpool have:
· Won the Carabao Cup
· Risen to the top of the Premier League (level on points with Arsenal)
· Beat Southampton 3-0 with a team full of academy players, to progress to this quarter-final tie against their old rivals
· Destroy Sparta Prague 11-2 over two legs to progress to the same stage of the Europa League, a trophy they are clear odds-on favourites to win
Their performance levels only seem to be improving of late too, with the club netting 37 times in their last 12 matches in all competitions.
Five Reds – Salah, Nunez, Jota, Gakpo and Diaz – are in double figures for goals scored this season, compared to just one – Rasmus Hojlund – for Manchester United.
Klopp’s side enter this contest as favourites, despite the tie taking place at Old Trafford.
Remember, Liverpool put five goals past United in Manchester two seasons ago and have enjoyed plenty of success against their old rivals in recent times. Not least, a 7-0 demolition job in the Premier League at Anfield last season.
Whilst United have eliminated Liverpool 10 ten times in this competition, the Reds have progressed from 17 of their last 18 FA Cup quarter-finals and aim to reach their 26th semi-final overall.
From a personnel point of view, Mo Salah is back to full fitness, while Ibrahima Konate has a chance of being passed fit to feature alongside Virgil van Dijk in defence.
A renergised Dominik Szoboszlai is also back from injury, and looked sharp midweek against the outclassed Sparta Prague.
Will the Klopp juggernaut roll on here?
Star Man – Mo Salah
He’s Mr. Liverpool on the pitch these days and fans will be delighted he’s returned to fitness as the business end of the season comes around. He thrives in these derby clashes, having scored a career-best 12 goals against Manchester United from his 13 appearances.
OUR PREDICTION
· Liverpool to start as firm favourites
· A Mo Salah goal would come as no surprise
· Don’t write off United too quickly, though a win will require a BIG performance
Last season, Manchester United had the opportunity to halt Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut, on their way to a treble. They failed to do so, losing 2-1 to their noisy neighbours in the FA Cup final.
Now, they face a similar prospect – their opponents here are going for a quadruple, albeit one that includes the Europa League and not the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag’s men will need to put in a season-best performance overcome their fierce rivals and progress to the last four.
If indeed United do to manage to get past Liverpool, it would likely go down as their best result of the season by some distance.
For Liverpool, the expectation is firmly on their shoulders now. While they have played more recently than United – in the Europa League on Thursday – they are still likely to look the fresher, more creative and more attacking outfit here.
Manchester United will raise their performance levels for such a huge game, but expect Liverpool to come out on top at the final whistle.
