Man Utd v Liverpool preview: Zlatan Ibrahimovic expected to return
Sunday 15 January 2017 11:04, UK
Manchester United hope to have Zlatan Ibrahimovic available when they host Liverpool, live on Nissan Super Sunday.
The striker missed the 2-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win over Hull on Tuesday due to illness, and will be assessed before the match at Old Trafford.
Live Nissan Super Sunday
Even without Ibrahimovic in midweek, United extended their winning run in all competitions to nine games as goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini secured victory.
“We don’t just have the good performances, we have the happiness of the good results,” said manager Jose Mourinho. “It's one more big match - let's enjoy it.”
United start the weekend sixth in the Premier League but a win would see them move just two points behind second-placed Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp's side have not won in three matches in all competitions and have failed to score in their last two.They were held to a goalless draw at home by Plymouth in the FA Cup and then beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.
Liverpool boss Klopp says United are "better" than they were earlier in the season when a defensive display led to a stalemate at Anfield.
“They are more used to each other," he said. “To use only one example, but I think Henrikh Mkhitaryan is an important example, it took a little bit of time – that’s normal. Now they can use his outstanding quality.
“[They are] more confident. It’s a different side, if you want. There was no doubt about the quality of the players when they played here. But it was not that tuned, maybe. [Now], it is. So that’s a different thing.”
Team news
Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo could be available for the hosts after missing the match against Hull with illness and a muscle strain respectively.
Eric Bailly is away on Ivory Coast duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Luke Shaw is pushing for a recall after returning to training this week.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and defender Joel Matip are back in training and could be in contention.
Henderson has missed the last three matches with a heel problem while Matip has been sidelined for a month with an ankle injury.
Playmaker Philippe Coutinho could be in line to start after making a 30-minute comeback appearance against Southampton in midweek after ankle ligament damage, while Simon Mignolet will return in goal.
Opta stats
This will be the 50th Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Liverpool – United have won 27 of the previous 49 (D9 L13).
Liverpool have lost 11 of their last 14 visits to Old Trafford in the Premier League, winning the other three.
Liverpool have lost more Premier League matches (27) and also the most overall league matches (67) against United than versus any other opponent.
This clash has seen 16 red cards shown in the Premier League - only Everton v Liverpool (21) has produced more dismissals.
United had just 35 per cent possession vs Liverpool at Anfield in October, their lowest total in a Premier League match since Opta began recording this data in 2003/04.
Klopp has lost just one of his six meetings with Mourinho (W3 D2 L1), with that defeat coming in 2013 via a 2-0 away loss for Dortmund v Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg.
Ibrahimovic has 13 goals in his first 19 Premier League appearances for United – the same record as Dwight Yorke and Robin van Persie. The only player to score more in their first 19 PL apps for the Red Devils was Ruud van Nistelrooy (15).
Paul Merson's prediction
Playing last means the rest of the top six might have won so it’s a game neither side can afford to lose. I am going with Man Utd. I watched Liverpool in the EFL Cup and they were poor at the back, and if Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit then I don’t see how they can cope with United.
Defensively they were all over the place at Southampton and James Milner could have a long day against Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial.
United have won six on the spin in the league but they started this run sixth in the league and they are still sixth. I think they are big players if they win this match, but if they lose then you are looking at whether they will get in the top four. That’s how tight it is at the top at the moment.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Manchester United are Sky Bet’s 11/10 favourites to collect the points with Liverpool 13/5 while the draw is a 23/10 chance. The visitors are, however, shorter odds in the Premier League outright at 4/1 with Jose Mourinho’s side 16/1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads the first goalscorer betting at 4/1 while Daniel Sturbridge is rated the visitors’ main goal threat at 13/2.
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