Liverpool will host Manchester United in the biggest match of gameweek 26 in the English Premier League. The Red Devils are flying high in confidence and have strengthened their hold on the top three. Liverpool, on the other hand, are getting their confidence back and are fighting to reach the top four. Erik ten Hag’s men won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Old Trafford. This time, Liverpool won’t allow them to take points away from Anfield. We now look at some of the stats of the two teams that could help predict the outcome of the match.
Liverpool sits sixth in the league table with 11 wins, six draws, and seven losses. The Reds have scored 40 goals in the current season and conceded 28. They have an average xG rate of 2.02 this season. The above pizza chart shows that Liverpool have been a dominant side this season. Jurgen Klopp’s men are rated highly and despite their poor results, they have shown dominance on the field.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have won 15, drawn four, and lost five matches this season. The Red Devils have scored 41 goals with an average xG rate of 1.52. Their defence has conceded 28 goals. By looking at the pizza chart we can observe that Manchester United haven’t been a very dominating side, but they have managed to get results. The Red Devils are ranked above average and will look to get a positive result from this match.
Both teams are unbeaten in the last four matches and have earned ten points. We further look at some of the stats from these matches as well as from the current season.
Liverpool in the attack
The Reds average 34.96 positional attacks and 2.46 counterattacks per match. They take 15.21 shots and have an accuracy rate of 35.9%. In the last four matches, the team has averaged 12.75 shots and their accuracy rate is just near 40%. Jurgen Klopp’s men have scored six goals in this unbeaten run.
Liverpool are a team that likes to deliver crosses into the opposition’s penalty box. Jurgen Klopp’s men average 18.83 crosses per match and manage to deliver 33% of them. The crossing zones map shows that most of the crossing has been done from the right side. Liverpool players have managed to land these crosses in dangerous areas.
Another key element in Liverpool’s attack is their ability to recover the ball high up on the field. The Reds average more than five dangerous recoveries and around 20 counter-pressing recoveries per match. These recoveries often create chances for the team and the ball can find the back of the net.
Manchester United in the attack
Manchester United create 27.5 positional attacks and 2.88 counterattacks on average. They have a high-efficiency rate from these attacks. Overall, the team takes 13.75 shots per match and have an accuracy rate of 38.2%. In the last four league matches, Manchester United have scored nine goals. They averaged 17.5 shots and had an accuracy rate of 35.7%. Erik ten Hag’s men will look to continue this same momentum against Liverpool.
The Red Devils create attacks from either side. In the last four matches, Manchester United players have penetrated the box from both sides. The viz clearly states that the players do not go that wide and often try to work the ball into the box.
Manchester United are just behind Liverpool when we look at the high recoveries. Both teams have been excellent in making dangerous recoveries inside the opposition penalty box. The defence will have to stay on their toes and stop the attackers from scoring goals.
Key players
Mo Salah has found the back of the net consistently for Liverpool in the previous seasons. This season he has lacked that confidence and is yet to reach the double figures. However, the Egyptian is a big-match player and will look to score goals against his team’s biggest rivals. He recently netted a goal in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Wolves.
Marcus Rashford has played a huge role in Manchester United’s success this season. The Englishman has scored 14 goals this season, with six coming in the last five matches. He scored the second goal in the reverse fixture and will look to add more to his tally.
Team news
There are no fresh injury concerns in both camp. Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho missed Manchester United’s FA Cup tie but they are likely to return to the squad.
Betting analysis
As per the 1×2 betting odds, Liverpool are the slight favourites to win the match. Diogo Jota’s return has added strength to the team. They have betting odds of around 2.4 to win the match. Manchester United have odds of around 2.85. As for the over/under lines, this is expected to be a tight match, and both defences will do their best to stop each other from scoring.
After winning the reverse fixture, Manchester United will look for back-to-back wins against their rivals. The Red Devils are in-form and will look to upset the Anfield crowd. However, it won’t be easy to take points at Liverpool. Expect plenty of excitement in this match.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
