Liverpool FC Vs. Manchester United Preview, Odds: 232nd Edition Of England’s Most Heated Rivalry
After extending their English Premier League winning streak to 12 last weekend, getting past Tottenham Hotspur 1-0, runaway league leaders Liverpool FC face their arch-rivals on Sunday. But this time, Manchester United come in as the only team not to lose to the Reds in the league this season. That is a blemish on their otherwise perfect record that Jurgen Klopp’s men hope to avenge in the featured matchup of the 23rd round of play.
A 1-1 draw at Anfield on October 20 still stands as the only match Liverpool has failed to win outright in the 2019/2020 league campaign. And in fact, Klopp’s team has not lost in 38 league matches, according to the BBC, with only five draws mixed in. United has not won a match at Anfield since January 2016, when Wayne Rooney scored the winning goal for the visitors.
On the other hand, Liverpool have lost 28 times to Manchester United since the start of the Premier League era in 1992. No other club has defeated the Reds more often. In fact, since the start of the Premier League, Sunday’s match will be the first in which Liverpool has hosted Manchester United while also sitting atop the table.
United have won three of their last four league games themselves — but that mini-surge has not stopped them from being listed as heavy underdogs going into the Sunday match.
ESPN FC previews the 232nd meeting between the two northern English rivals, in the video below.
According to odds published by Yahoo! Sports, Liverpool comes in with a moneyline of -275, meaning that to win $100, a bettor must wager $275. But Manchester United’s line is +700. In other words, the 13-time Premier League champions are such longshots that a mere $100 bet would pay off at a $700 profit if they somehow emerge victorious over Liverpool at Anfield.
To make matters more difficult for the visitors, team-leading goal scorer Marcus Rashford (14) appears in doubt for the game, following a questionable decision by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to bring the 22-year-old on against Wolves in Wednesday’s FC Cup replay game. United won the match 1-0 but may have lost Rashford to a back injury, according to ESPN.com.
But with the FA Cup Manchester United’s only realistic chance at silverware this year, “it makes perfect sense to be aggressive,” by utilizing Rashford in the match, ESPN.com columnist Nick Miller opined.
With 18 straight wins at Anfield, Liverpool are just three short of the club record — which the Reds set in 1972.
In a rivalry that dates back to 1894, Liverpool and Manchester United remain the two most decorated teams in English league history. But Liverpool’s 18 titles all came in the First Division era, while Manchester United’s record 20 championships was built mainly since the 1992 inauguration of the Premier League. Only seven of their titles came in the old First Division.
The Liverpool FC vs. Manchester United rivalry clash kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Sunday. That start time will be 11:30 a.m. EST, 8:30 a.m. PST, in the United States, where NBC Sports Network will broadcast the game nationally.
