Liverpool v Manchester United Betting Tip 1 – Sunday 22 March

Premier League Tips

Since losing to Manchester United in December, Liverpool have transformed their season and have went unbeaten since that loss. In their 13 Premier League games between the fixtures with United, Brendan Rodgers men have won 10 and drawn there to move to within two points of the top four and, crucially, Champions League qualification. Their most recent game – a 1-0 win at Swansea – was symptomatic of how a lot of their victories have come about as despite not being at their best, and at times riding their luck, they managed to grind out a win and another vital three points. It was their seventh win to nil in since their Old Trafford visit and that is a huge change to their early season form when they really struggled defensively. They shutout only four teams in their first 15 games.

When Louis Van Gaal was appointed as Manchester United manager last summer, his main aim was to qualify for the Champions League. For a team who are so accustomed to competing in European’s premier club competition, finishing in seventh placed (as they did last season) and missing out playing in the Champions League has a huge impact on the whole club. Two years without it would be unthinkable and would have massive financial implications. That’s the pressure that is on the Dutchman and there’s no doubt he has felt it at times this season. They have been on a decent run in the league of late, winning six of their last nine and losing only once. They hold a two point lead over this weekend’s opponents and they certainly will not want to give Liverpool any further confidence in the battle for the top four by conceding ground at an Anfield on Sunday.

For a side whose games averaged just below four goals last season, it is quite remarkable to see how different a team Liverpool are this campaign. The loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and early season injury suffered by Daniel Sturridge has obviously affected their attacking options but there’s no doubt there has been a conscious effort from Rodgers to get his side more disciplined and better organised in defence. The switch to back three halfway through this season has coincided with their improved defensive record and it has been a real feature of their play. The full back areas have long been an issue with Liverpool and I do not think it’s unrelated that they look better and more solidin this system without players who have looked very suspect defensively.

United’s form against the other sides in the top seven this season has been very good. They have taken four points against Tottenham, shared a win apiece with Southampton, won away to Arsenal and drawn at home to Chelsea. Their win over Liverpool earlier in the season was another indication of how they can compete and ready themselves for the big games. Despite that record, many still have doubts over the team and approach that Van Gaal is putting together. That is somewhat understandable as they have looked second best a lot of the time in these games but due to some luck, an excellent goalkeeper and some woeful finishing from their opponents, they have usually found a way to get a result. Visiting Anfield is always a tough fixture for a a Manchester United team and this will be no different.

For a anyone who watched the match between these two clubs at Old Trafford in December, you could be forgiven for having to double check the score. Although United won the game 3-0, it was the visitors who looked much the better team and missed a plethora of guilt-edged chances. I expect this game to follow a similar pattern with Liverpool having the majority of possession and taking the game to their opponents. They suffered at Old Trafford for not having a clinical finisher in the team but they do this time with the return to fitness of Daniel Sturridge and he could prove to be the difference. He has looked much sharper in the last couple of weeks and the 3/1 at Paddypower for him to score and Liverpool to win is value in my opinion. The main selection is a home win, however, and Liverpool to take a huge step towards finishing in the top four.

Liverpool 23/20 @ Betvictor