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EPL Predictions: Liverpool vs Man United

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Liverpool travel to the Theatre of Dreams to take on Manchester United on Monday, in a mouth-watering clash.

However, the season has not started off well for Liverpool.

They are currently 15th in the table after incurring back-to-back draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace respectively.

A victory at Old Trafford against a struggling United side is crucial if they are to mount a title challenge.

Meanwhile, Man United is having one of the worst season openings ever.

They opened their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton on August 7 before suffering a shock 4-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend.

The two defeats, coupled with the already-poor goal difference, has left the Red Devils at the bottom of the division.

Tellingly, this is the first time since 1992 that United have lost their first two games of a Premier League campaign.

Team news

Liverpool will be without Nunez, but his place is expected to be filled by Roberto Firmino who returns from injury.

Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz are almost certain to play pivotal roles.

The Colombian, Diaz is a brilliant dribbler and his goal against Crystal Palace as he wove through the Palace back line before depositing a long-range effort into the top corner, was world-class.

The Man United right back Diogo Dalot will have his hands full trying to control the Colombian.

Midfielder Naby Keita is also available for selection.

However, the squad has been hit by fitness issues as the likes of Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Ibrahima Konate, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calvin Ramsay and Caoimhin Kelleher are still out injured.

Man United, meanwhile, have deeper issues under new manager Erik ten Hag, as his side looks leaky at the back and toothless up front.

The most worrying part of the poor Manchester United start has been the attack.

They have unleashed 32 shots in the first two matches of the season.

Of these, 12 have come from outside the penalty area.

17 shots that have come from inside the penalty area and just three efforts have thus far been generated from inside the six-yard box.

This clearly shows the lack of service to Cristiano Ronaldo who scores most of his goals through headers and tap-ins.

If Man United are to improve their prospects, they have to resolve this issue as Ronaldo is their primary danger man upfront.

United will welcome Anthony Martial back into the fold but he is likely to be on the bench.

Club captain Harry Maguire could be replaced by Raphael Varane.

Luke Shaw might lose his place to Tyrell Malacia who showed glimpses of his quality in the second half against Brentford.

Recent head to head

Man United were embarrassed by Liverpool in their two Premier League games last season, suffering a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford and 4-0 defeat at Anfield.

In fact, United has not beaten Liverpool in England’s top flight since March 2018.

Even for today’s match, Liverpool will be the overwhelming favourites.

Manchester United’s predicted lineup (4-2-3-1)

De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Fernandes, Fred; Eriksen, Sancho, Rashford; Ronaldo

Liverpool’s predicted lineup (4-3-3):

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Diaz

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‘They have to be favourites’ – Liverpool ‘perfect’ in Champions League

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Liverpool’s impeccable start to the season has made them strong contenders for the Champions League. After securing a place in the knockout rounds with a win over Girona, they’ve maintained a perfect European record.

Rio Ferdinand praised their momentum, highlighting their position as favorites based on form, though he cautioned that freshness, particularly for key players like Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, will be crucial. Stephen Warnock echoed this sentiment, noting that Liverpool is a formidable opponent in both the Premier League and Champions League.

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WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

 

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

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Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card
Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

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