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Liverpool vs Manchester United Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Venue: Anfield Kickoff Time: 16:30 (UK Time) The cauldron that is Anfield, will play host to Manchester United on Sunday, 5 January. Arne Slot’s Reds will seek to punish their bitter rivals once again and, in the process, secure three more valuable Premier League points, whilst Amorim will be hopeful he is beginning to see the backend of the eye of the storm. SportsBoom takes a closer look at this Premier League encounter, providing you with everything you need before placing your weekend football betting multiples!

Ryan Liberty
Ryan Liberty

Last Updated: 2024-12-31

Chad Nagel

6 minutes read

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Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's third goal

Mohamed Salah//Getty Images

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Liverpool Dominates the Betting

  1. Home: 8/25 (1.32) – 73%

  2. Draw: 24/5 (5.8) – 16%

  3. Away: 36/5 (8.4) – 11%

Head-To-Head Record

Last five meetings (Premier League)

  1. 01/09/2024: Manchester United 0–3 Liverpool 

  2. 07/04/2024: Manchester United 2–2 Liverpool

  3. 17/12/2023: Liverpool 0–0 Manchester United

  4. 05/03/2023: Liverpool 0–0 Manchester United

  5. 05/03/2023: Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United

Liverpool Current Form – WDWWW

Liverpool have been brilliant! They continue to show unmatched power, energy and attacking stats which simply dwarf their opposition. There have been suggestions that in their last three games against Spurs, Leicester and West Ham they could have been more clinical but the pressure they put on their opponents defence and the sheer number of chances they create will always result in a positive output. 

Arne Slot has showed he isn’t afraid to make changes to his Liverpool side and given the competitiveness in that team, the depth of quality has become rather impressive. Liverpool is without question one of (if not) the best team in Europe at the moment. They are beginning to run away with the league and there is no indication that they intend taking their foot off of the accelerator. 

Key Players to Watch

  • Diogo Jota: Jota is one of the players in the Liverpool side who often slips under the radar. He isn’t often spoken about and generally he is overlooked when one analyses the quality in this Liverpool team. He goes forward well and contributes to Slot’s defensive system as well. Be sure to appreciate the quality in Jota through the middle for Liverpool. 
  • Andy Robertson: The one consistent you will get with Robertson is that he will always wear his heart on his sleeve. He will give 100% for the success of this Liverpool side, working up and down on that left-hand side. The modern game celebrates wide defenders capable of contributing to the attacking phase of the game as well and Robertson is certainly one of those players. 
  • Mohamed Salah: Yes, Salah is included in almost every Liverpool preview, but we cannot leave him out of a “key player’s” segment – at least not purposefully. He has been an absolute machine this season. His data is breaking almost every Premier League attacking record and he doesn’t seem to be letting up either! 

Liverpool Team News

Ibrahim Konate (thing injury), Conor Bradley (thigh injury) and Dominik Szoboszlai (discipline points) are all unavailable for this encounter. 

Manchester United Current Form – WWLLL

The storm that Ruben Amorim spoke about early into his tenure has well and truly settled over Old Trafford. They have been rinsed by teams and their confidence seems to once again be on a downward trajectory. 

Yes, Amorim’s arrival was greeted with great enthusiasm and intrigue, there is still a clear shift in identity under his leadership and he does seem suited to the role – but the size of this job must have come as a surprise to his backroom staff and himself. A ton of money has been spent on this club, and they don’t seem any closer to a best XI now than they did 12 months ago. 

United have been poor, and they come into this game less than their best it could be embarrassing once again. 

Key Players to Watch

  • Kobbie Mainoo: Mainoo has struggled to find a rhythm under his new manager, but to be fair to him he has struggled since coming back from injury. The ability he showed toward the back end of last season and into the Euro’s doesn’t just disappear though, and if he can find his confidence once again, he could be massive for this game.
  • Casemiro: The ultra-experienced midfielder hasn’t had much game time, but the suspension of Bruno Fernandes might bring the Brazilian into the starting XI. At the end of the Ten Hag era, Casemiro began to sit next to Ugarte and United looked impressively sound in the middle of the pitch…one has to wonder whether the same could be found should Amorim deploy both of them during his reign.
  • Joshua Zirkzee: The Dutchman has blown hot and cold so far in the league, but his goal scoring ability cannot be questioned. Zirkzee seems to be a confidence player, but in the final third, his movement and touches show the quality that is undoubtedly there. United will be hoping to see the best from their attacking forward for the last few months of the domestic season.

Manchester United Team News

United will be without Luke Shaw (muscle injury), Mason Mount (muscle injury), Bruno Fernandes (suspended), Manuel Ugarte (suspended) and Victor Lindelof (knock).

Predicted Line-Up

  1. Liverpool: 4-3-3

    Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenbach, Jones, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo.

  2. Manchester United: 3-4-2-1

    Onana, Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot, Diallo, Fernandes, Hojlund. 

Suggested Bets

It is always better to have skin in the game – it just makes for a far more exciting experience! These are our suggested bets this upcoming clash between two of the Premier League’s fiercest rivals. 

Get your best bets on early, make use of our reliable sportsbook friends and hopefully you come away with a few early coins in the piggy bank for the new year. 

  1. Liverpool to Win: Liverpool are in a fantastic position at the moment, they seem to have brilliant balance in their team, and we think they come away from this game with all three points in the bag. 8/25 (1.32) with Pinnacle and BetWinner

  2. Liverpool (-1.5 Handicap): Anfield will be an absolute cauldron, those fans will be bouncing and urging their side forward for the entire 90 minutes. United have been susceptible to conceding from anywhere, back Liverpool to overcome the handicap. 4/5 (2.03) with Betway and BetWinner

  3. Half-time/Full-time (Liverpool/Liverpool): Back the hosts to get off to the perfect start and then running away with it. At generous odds, we suggest backing Liverpool to be ahead at the break before going on to win the game. 8/10 (1.8) with Pinnacle and BetWinner

Value Bets

  1. Mohamed Salah – Anytime Goal scorer: The Egyptian talisman loves scoring against United, we don’t think it ends here!  8/5 (2.6) with Betway and BetWinner

  2. Liverpool to Win to Nil: This is a bit of a gamble, only because of the quality United have upfront. However, they are devoid of confidence and have struggled to find the back of the net away from home. 3/2 (2.5) with Betway and BetWinner

  3. Liverpool Clean Sheet (Yes): Without having to back the hosts to win the game, simply keeping a clean sheet against United serves up 13/10 (2.3) with Betway and BetWinner

Prediction: Liverpool (-1.5 Handicap)

Our Liverpool vs Manchester United prediction is for Arne Slot and his Reds to not only win the game but do so whilst overcoming the -1.5 handicap. The hosts are in a far better place than their rivals, their balance, ruthless attack and composed defensive system lead us to believe they comfortably claim all three points and heap pressure onto Ruben Amorim and Manchester United.

Ryan Liberty
Ryan LibertyBetting Writer

Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.

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