The Premier League gets back underway this weekend following a short international break, with the pick of the games this weekend being the biggest game in English football- Manchester United vs Liverpool. Manchester United will be looking to put a dent in Liverpool’s title hopes while trying to put their season back on the rails, while Liverpool are looking to break the record for the most consecutive wins in the Premier League at eighteen. With two teams in such contrasting positions, it is bound to be an interesting tactical affair. In this tactical analysis, I’ll look at how both teams are likely to set up, how both teams can hurt each other, and how the game is likely to look.
Manchester United’s gameplan
In terms of tactics, I am expecting a pretty similar game this time round as we saw in February, particularly with United’s confidence so low at the minute. I’d expect Liverpool to have the majority of possession, with United looking to reduce Liverpool’s space as much as possible and then look to counter.
So how can United limit Liverpool’s space?
They did a pretty good job of this last time out in the goalless draw last February, but a fairly poor offensive performance from Liverpool certainly benefitted them. United lined up in a 4-3-1-2 shape and used a particularly effective tactic to hinder Liverpool’s build-up.
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