The Liverpool Offside - Premier League Coverage: Manchester United vs. LiverpoolZeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2018-03-10T17:15:00+00:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/168668632018-03-10T17:15:00+00:002018-03-10T17:15:00+00:00Manchester United 2, Liverpool 1: As Always, It’s The Little Things
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<img alt="Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/e77n-pua1uwL8Lqv_iAbpoWHvtY=/448x191:4062x2600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58979677/930060824.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It was a Liverpool loss to their arch-rivals that came down to the intangibles.</p> <p id="jcOztP">When teams are only separated by a mere point in the league table in March, the distinguishing clues are often a matter of specialization: one team excels at A but struggles with B, while the other is the best B in all the land but is shambles in the A department. On the occasions these two teams meet, the key then is to try match one’s strengths with the other’s weaknesses. Blowouts, fine margins or stalemates; all are possible, and these sorts of ties often turn on the intangibles such as mental strength, execution and winning individual battles.</p>
<p id="qEUSuq">It is why <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> lost to <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> and it was just. On paper, the Reds were undone by two goals from long balls, each plying a route from David De Gea to Marcus Rashford via <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> resulting in a brace for the England international inside 25 minutes. It could also be easy to blame the subsequent appearance of the famous Jose Mourinho bus on the game script. </p>
<p id="C2AGFj">However, at the start, Mourinho’s Red Devils—for once—showed up to this grandest of occasions ready to play actual football, leading to the sort of end-to-end opening 14 minutes none had expected. Liverpool’s gameplan was, as always, to play patiently out from the back when in possession, press high out of it and hit hard on the counter. United’s plan was to find Lukaku’s head and see what happens. The latter strategy nominally won over the former when Rashford opened the scoring by cutting inside young Trent Alexander-Arnold with a slick turn and curling past Loris Karius, before collecting a loose ball in the box to double the advantage ten minutes later.</p>
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<p id="qZbaOp">However, this account of events would fail to tell the full story; rather it was in the individual battles where the match was lost. The eye-catching matchup was between an evergreen <span>Ashley Young</span> and Mohamed Salah, the former surprisingly silencing the league’s leading scorer by employing a combination of brawn and guile in shackling the previously irrepressible forward. Elswhere Romelu Lukaku essentially—as they say—“sonned” <span>Dejan Lovren</span> in their personal matchup, at one point physically putting the Croatian defender on his backside in the lead up to the winning goal in an image that encapsulated the one-sided nature of their battle. </p>
<p id="SE5T8m">But what ended up being the key clash was Rashford vs. Trent Alexander-Arnold. Despite an impressive showing in the reverse fixture, the Reds right back reminded Liverpool fans that he still a talent very much in development, with the academy product’s 19 years of age up against the United forward’s 15 international caps ending poorly for the visitors. </p>
<p id="CC6nZg">If you’re counting, that’s United 3 Liverpool 0 in the individual box score, too large a deficit in as tightly wound a match as this. </p>
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<p id="Sf9uXy">Even so, and for all their impressive defensive focus up 2-0, United still experienced the occasional lapses in concentration as the match went on that Liverpool this season have typically and ruthlessly capitalized on: referee Craig Pawson and the line judge both had poor views of Antonio Valencia’s hand impeding a dangerous cross in what ought to have been a stonewall penalty call; on the other side of the defensive line, Young somehow managed to get away with bear-hugging Salah from behind as the Egyptian attempted to control the ball in the box. Ultimately, United were only forced to pay for one of their miscues, with Eric Bailly bundling into his own net from a Sadio Mané cross to make it 2-1 on 66 minutes.</p>
<p id="VBoPd6">To Liverpool’s credit, the goal came as a result of a sustained period of pressure in the second half, with the visitors displaying the sort of mental fortitude from a losing position unlike what fans have grown accustomed to in recent times. With a point in their sights, the Reds spent the remaining 30 minutes of normal and stoppage time pouring forward in clumsy earnest, displaying the belief of a squad that has heroically wrested points from their opponents on more than one occasion this season.</p>
<p id="YgSB8x">However, in the end, the unlovely nature of the solitary strike from a team accustomed to more sumptuous fare in attack summed up the inadequacy of the performance. That the Reds’ most likely route to goal on the day came from United’s inability to mark center half Virgil Van Dijk on any of the 13 Liverpool corners was telling in itself. Such so that when the ball fell to Liverpool’s 32-goal striker in Salah in the box with the final kick of the game, the barren 96 minutes of attack that proceeded the moment made the sailing shot into the crowd almost inevitable.</p>
<p id="tyF3Z7">There are learnings from this match that will hopefully be the catalyst for a second evolution for this squad. Earlier in the season, Liverpool finally realized that beautiful football couldn’t beat the bus, consequently developing their own brand of Route One long ball after discovering that defenders are not nearly as fast as the likes of Salah and Mané. This time, Herr Klopp has between now and the next round of the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> to figure out how to come from behind against a physically-imposing and/or defensively elite side (like, say, a Real Madrid or Juventus).</p>
<p id="tjZi1v">But perhaps the most important lesson to be learned is that going down 2-0 will never get you anywhere: not against a Mourinho team, not at Old Trafford and especially not against Manchester United. </p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/10/17104264/manchester-united-2-liverpool-1-its-the-little-things-dejan-lovren-trent-marcus-rashford-lukakuO.T. Obaisi2018-03-10T15:05:59+00:002018-03-10T15:05:59+00:00Klopp Talk: “We Have to Defend These Situations Better”
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<img alt="Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sB16tL_ZDhGvOTM_6AkG8FWSnyE=/0x0:3728x2485/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58978869/930066416.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The manager admitted his side’s defending was poor today, but bemoans the lack of a penalty given.</p> <p id="TB1pvw">It ended up being a bitterly frustrating day for <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> against <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, as Marcus Rashford was able to score two goals from the left channel and José Mourinho’s side were all but home and dry within half an hour. While Eric Bailly’s own goal gifted Liverpool a way back into the match, and the visitors perhaps deserved a penalty late on, there weren’t a lot of positives to take from the day’s events.</p>
<p id="gzW8Am">Jürgen Klopp seemed to see the game similarly, voicing his disappointment at the performance but questioning the refereeing decisions.</p>
<p id="amscgV">“We have to defend these situations better”, the Liverpool manager told Sky Sports <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/43264056">after the game</a>. “You can always lose a header or a challenge with <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> of course but there is a gap in behind and we need to close that. The two goals [conceded] made the game not easy. [We] had a lot of OK moments, two good moments in the first half where we could finish better. We didn’t score before half time and then in the second half we chased the game. It is really difficult to do against a team like Manchester United.”</p>
<p id="fsuzn6">While he was open about the defensive frailties of his side, Klopp nonetheless voiced his frustration at the referee’s refusal to give his side what he felt they deserved, believing it “was a clear penalty with Fellaini on Mané”, and that “in situations like this you need the right decision”.</p>
<p id="YbNuFB">“It is all about the result and we lost.”</p>
<p id="tuVLn6">While the penalty incident is sure to be discussed for some time after such an important game, it’s hard to argue with Klopp’s final assessment.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2018/3/10/17103926/klopp-talk-we-have-to-defend-these-situations-better-liverpool-manchester-united-premier-leagueGraceOnFootball2018-03-10T14:40:01+00:002018-03-10T14:40:01+00:00Manchester United 2, Liverpool 1: Man Of The Match
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<figcaption>Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>With a disappointing loss to arch-rivals, Manchester United in the books, we want you to rate Liverpool’s players and choose your man of the match.</p> <p id="MM9d9w">Despite dominating possession, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> were undone by two long balls and as many goals by Marcus Rashford to lose 2-1 to <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>. It had been a chance for the Reds to put some distance between them and their rivals in the race for second in the league but Jürgen Klopp’s squad were simply unable to unlock the host’s defense. </p>
<p id="MdKPxN">Now let us know how you saw it. Hitting the thumbs up button is a vote to move the player up the list—or to help keep them on top. Hitting thumbs down is a vote to push that player closer to the bottom. It’s half man of the match poll and half power ranking, and we want to use it to find out who you think played well after each Liverpool match and, at the other end, who you’d maybe like to see given the next game off.</p>
<p id="i3rq7r">At the end of the month we’ll go through the results of the month’s polls and vote The Liverpool Offside’s player of the month and, come next May, those monthly results will help to determine your TLO player of the season for 2017-18. Those visiting on Google AMP who wish to vote will have to navigate to the front page and re-enter the story to access the non-AMP version of it.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/10/17103876/best-worst-performances-vote-motm-manchester-united-liverpool-epl-2018O.T. Obaisi2018-03-10T14:25:18+00:002018-03-10T14:25:18+00:00Manchester United 2, Liverpool 1: First Thoughts
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<figcaption>Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Liverpool lose a frustrating and disappointing game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.</p> <blockquote><p id="bFTJDp"><a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/"><em><strong>Manchester United</strong></em></a><em><strong> 2</strong></em><em> Rashford 15’, 23’ </em><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/"><em><strong>Liverpool</strong></em></a><em><strong> 1</strong></em><em> Bailly 67’ (og)</em></p></blockquote>
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<li id="wfGbck">PRE-MATCH: Largely unsurprising set-up from Klopp with Milner replacing Henderson, who has a dead leg. Salah hat trick, please.</li>
<li id="7jXiQk">Cagey in the first few minutes, with Liverpool having perhaps a slight advantage. Man United playing in the boring way we’ve come to expect against Mourinho teams. It’ll be up to Liverpool to find away around their defense, with De Gea the biggest challenge.</li>
<li id="OQBDB1">goal - Rashford 15’ - He receives a great flick on and makes his shot count, straight past Karius.</li>
<li id="a4x8Bh">Dejan is going full Lovren here. You never go full Lovren ffs. Alexander-Arnold isn’t faring much better.</li>
<li id="jmGCc3">goal - Rashford 23’ - It’s Groundhog’s Day at Old Trafford, as Manchester United basically score the same goal twice, 8 minutes apart. Fool me once...</li>
<li id="ACokZC">Should be 3-0 to United, with <span>Juan Mata</span> narrowly missing the group. Liverpool have lost the plot. Important to note that a Salah hat trick is still on the table though. Let’s just get to halftime first though, eh?</li>
<li id="UD7g8a">HALFTIME: Our defense was vintage Liverpool, and not in the good way. Mourinho’s use of Lukaku to bully and pull our center-backs out of position has worked a treat. Lovren looks terrible, Alexander-Arnold looks overwhelmed. We need to regroup. </li>
<li id="Tvd2ub">Oh good, we’re back.</li>
<li id="l5UeTG">Old Trafford rules apply as Salah doesn’t get a call for a clear penalty. Just one of those days.</li>
<li id="IOLErD">This is atrocious. The Man United players are getting away with murder, but the Liverpool players aren’t exactly making it hard for them. I didn’t wake up at 6:30 for this nonsense. Pity the west coast Americans today.</li>
<li id="z2b2Lr">GOAL!! - Bailly 67’ (og) - That was a pretty spectacular own goal, off of a Sadio Mané cross. Bailly ninja kicks it past De Gea. I’ll take it and hope it lifts the team with a bit of hope.</li>
<li id="3JltLI">Firmino squanders a decent chance in front of goal, which pretty much epitomizes this whole game.</li>
<li id="ZdVTGl">Six minutes of added time, I don’t have much hope here.</li>
<li id="WN9DV1">FINAL: It’s still early, I’m going back to bed.</li>
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<p id="bmjrHT">We’ll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today’s game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven’t already, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/account/setup?community_id=373"><strong>join the community on the Liverpool Offside</strong></a>, where we’ll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/10/17103632/manchester-united-2-liverpool-1-match-recap-report-epl-2018epicskyline2018-03-10T09:00:01+00:002018-03-10T09:00:01+00:00Manchester United vs Liverpool Live Updates
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<figcaption>Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Lineups, television and streaming options, and live Champions League coverage as Liverpool face off against </p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="sRCbkv">
<h2 id="yQ04Ng"><strong>MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL</strong></h2>
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<strong>| Saturday, March 10th|</strong><br><strong>Premier League | Old Trafford</strong><br><strong>12:30PM GMT/7:30AM EST</strong>
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<p id="Y25ThI">It’s the battle for second place and bragging rights when <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> take on their less impressive rivals, <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, at Old Trafford in today’s early match. Liverpool will need to get around Jose Mourinho’s famous bus, which he will likely still park even at home, because Jose gonna Jose. Klopp has a full roster to choose from this morning, with all three of his talented attackers available and in form. Only Jordan Henderson is a doubt after struggling with a dead leg midweek. And in entertaining subplots, Mohamed Salah is only eight goals away from breaking the Premier League record for goals scored in a 38-game season. A hat trick today would help that along nicely, don’t you think?</p>
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<h2 id="j9MXVE"><strong>PREVIEW & VIEWING OPTIONS</strong></h2>
<p id="4GgvXa"><strong>Full Preview: </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/9/17101138/manchester-united-vs-liverpool-preview-team-news-and-ways-to-watch-premier-league-matchweek-30">Manchester United vs Liverpool</a></p>
<p id="NiXM9V"><strong>Television:</strong> Sky Sports Premier League (UK); NBCSN (USA); Optus Sport (Australia); TSN1 (Canada); Star Sports Select (India); Astro SuperSport 3 (Malaysia); SuperSport 3 (Nigeria); 102 mio Stadium (Singapore); SuperSport 3 (South Africa); other listings at <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2503020/manchester-united-vs-liverpool/">LiveSoccerTV</a></p>
<p id="oA33qk"><strong>Online Streaming:</strong> SKY GO Extra (UK); <a href="http://stream.nbcsports.com/premier-league/liverpool-everton?cid=sbn">NBC Sports Live Extra</a> (USA) | <strong>Online Radio:</strong> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fvideo&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2F2018%2F3%2F10%2F17103248%2Fmanchester-united-liverpool-epl-2018-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streaming" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">LFCTV GO</a> and <a href="http://talksport.com/matchday-live">TalkSport Radio World</a> (International)</p>
<h2 id="9ZzLls"><strong>MANCHESTER UNITED</strong></h2>
<p id="ToScnI"><em>Starting XI: </em>De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young; McTominay, Matic; Mata, Alexis, Rashford; Lukaku</p>
<p id="rmTQwb"><em>Bench:</em> Romero; Darmian, Lindelof, Shaw; Carrick, Fellaini; Lingard</p>
<h2 id="AHjIv9"><strong>LIVERPOOL</strong></h2>
<p id="4MQRcR"><em>Starting XI: </em>Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Can, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Mane, Firmino</p>
<p id="Pakjkk"><em>Bench:</em> Mignolet, Gomez, Matip, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Solanke</p>
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<h2 id="HsrAzr"><strong>FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
<p id="yQ4C6b">[footage not found]</p>
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<h2 id="bH6qrI"><strong>SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
<p id="FJw0CS"><strong>66’ - Bailly OG! -</strong> Liverpool get back into it with an acrobatic own goal from the United defender.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">2-1 BAILLY OG<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUNLIV?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUNLIV</a> <a href="https://t.co/T4aInFmBFX">pic.twitter.com/T4aInFmBFX</a></p>— Liverpool Gifs (@lfcgif) <a href="https://twitter.com/lfcgif/status/972471656366133249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="2Alm29"><strong>JOIN THE CONVERSATION</strong></h2>
<p id="6zdkwW">If you haven’t already, sign up for an SB Nation account and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/account/setup?community_id=373">join the conversation on The Liverpool Offside,</a> where we’ll have full coverage of every Liverpool match this season, breaking news, opinion, and tactical discussion.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/10/17103248/manchester-united-liverpool-epl-2018-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streamingepicskyline2018-03-09T21:30:01+00:002018-03-09T21:30:01+00:00Ghosts of Derbys Past: Liverpool FC vs Manchester United, September 1st, 2013
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<img alt="Liverpool v Manchester United - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L8zKsNU7Cgfojim5aSmFeCzNc8c=/0x0:3474x2316/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58971705/179188189.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>“Please don’t have Jose ask me to play FIFA. Please don’t have Jose ask me to play FIFA. PleasedonthaveJose...” - Daniel Sturridge, exhausted team mate. | Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Reliving the ecstasy of a memorable win that catapulted the Reds into an unforgettable campaign through the lens of a far-flung fan.</p> <p id="NHnd6T">The morning of September 1st, 2013 broke like most others: the sun was breaking through my window and I could here the slow awakening of the song birds in the pine tree next to my room. The difference, though, was that my phone was buzzing and, being that it was about 4am, I was thoroughly confused. Seeing “Kevin” listed as the incoming call, it was then that it dawned on me that I was supposed to have been up and ready to leave about 10 minutes ago. Kev and I were going to drive down to Lucky Baldwin’s pub in Pasadena, California to watch <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> Football Club take on <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>. And I was still in bed. I answered the call, apologize profusely, and dressed as quickly as possible. Soon, we were on the road.</p>
<p id="v7UMgH">Arriving at the pub, we were greeted with a very full house. Understandable all things considered - this was the local Liverpool supporters bar and it seemed that even the early morning kick off wouldn’t deter people. Packed to the gills with Reds of all ages (parents brought their children!) and pub staff hustling to get breakfast and coffee out to bleary supporters, it was a site to see. Till then, I’d only ever watched matches in the comfort of my home. Sure, I had twitter and TLO, but nothing like this: Reds from across the East LA region, congregated here. It felt like home.</p>
<p id="fLmXIp">The setting of the match itself is interesting: the third match of the season for Brendan Rogers charges. Also: the third match without Luis Suarez as he was working off his 10-match suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovič in the run-in to the previous season. The Reds looked less threatening without their talisman up top, but they’d also managed to nip 1-nil victories in the previous to league matches with <span>Daniel Sturridge</span> leading the way. </p>
<p id="w5W08Y">United, in the meanwhile, were struggling to find themselves under new manager David Moyes. The system looked a bit of a shambles and his new signings hadn’t quite gelled. Still, there was the slight tinge of fear that if there was a time United might find some form, doing so against their bitter rivals was likely.</p>
<p id="CA2xXc">As the whistle blew at kick off, there was a sense, then, that the match might hold something a bit special. Four minutes in, it was absolutely clear. Daniel Sturridge - celebrating his 24th birthday - headed home a flicked ball from a corner to put the Reds up 1-nil. The entire pub was in ecstasy. Beer, coffee, hashbrowns, all of it was everywhere. More, it was a deluge of Red celebration. Songs were sung (though, sadly, none directly for Danny), hugs dispensed, and all at once I felt knitted into the fabric of The Game’s Greatest Fans. </p>
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<img alt="Liverpool v Manchester United - Premier League" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/22MyIA_qzBeoy_46QL_2yNmhLvc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10393751/179184481.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="76iHh9">At half-time, with the Reds clinging to their lead on the strength of a robust performance at center back by Danny Agger and Martin Skrtel, the supporters group stepped out to take a photo. Awed by the atmosphere and the instant camaraderie, Kevin - not a soccer fan by any means - turned to me and said, “Wow. I wasn’t expecting this.” It seemed that, in a way, the spirit of the fandom began to make sense even to those outside of the fandom.</p>
<p id="H02iaj">Once the game kicked back off, it was nervy time again. But with the defense bending-not-breaking and United’s attack about as sharp as a spoon, we managed to pull out a win. The supporters slowly poured into the just waking streets of Pasadena. For many the day was just dawning, for us, the sun felt at its zenith.</p>
<p id="dTPU06">I look back at that experience often because it portended so much: Sturridge would go on to score 5 goals in 4 matches and manage to hold the fort in the absence of Luis Suarez. The two of them, along with <span>Raheem Sterling</span>, would then go on to light up the league on their way to a 2nd-place finish and the first trip to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> in three seasons. It marked the beginning of a special time and another step forward from the Dark Days of 2010-2011. </p>
<p id="ZPraC0">It also marked a turning point in my fandom. I finally knew what it was to belong to this global community of fans. And, on that day especially, what it meant to not walk alone.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/9/17101150/liverpool-fc-manchester-united-derby-premier-leagueAJ Joven2018-03-09T19:45:02+00:002018-03-09T19:45:02+00:00Manchester United vs Liverpool: Preview, Team News, and Ways to Watch
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<img alt="Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/usX08eL-cu5jEaLB1bHnE3ciMQk=/120x14:3289x2127/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58972181/631537774.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Mighty Reds travel to Old Trafford looking to seize 2nd place on the Premier League table from the Red Devils</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="bubxXf">
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<a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/"><strong>Manchester United</strong></a><strong> vs </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/"><strong>Liverpool</strong></a>
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<strong>| Saturday, March 10th |</strong><br><strong>Premier League | Old Trafford</strong><br><strong>12:30 PM GMT/07:30 AM EST</strong>
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<p id="94kWNC">The battle for second place in the Premier League is on tomorrow when Liverpool travel to the Red side of Manchester to take on José Mourinho’s United in the 200<sup>th</sup> competitive match between the two clubs. With the last three PL fixtures ending in draws and a mere two points separating the two clubs, though a win for either side won’t affect <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>’s first place, this one is all about the rivalry which dates way back to April 1894, and of course, the bragging rights. Manchester United have won 79 of the 199 matches played against Liverpool who have won 65 and there have been 55 draws.</p>
<p id="PeplWe">Manchester United are on the back of two dramatic Premier League wins, coming from behind to beat <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> 2-1 (Old Trafford on 25 February) and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a> 3-2 (Selhurst Park on 3 March) with their most recent loss in the league having been at the hands of <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> (St James Park on 11 February 2018). The Mancs are through to the quarter-finals in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fa-cup">FA Cup</a> after their win over Huddersfield on 17 February and they take on Sevilla in their <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> Round of 16, second leg match on Tuesday, March 13<sup>th</sup>. United hold the best home defensive record in the PL this season, conceding six times in 14 games. </p>
<p id="323SGc">Liverpool have won their last three Premier League matches, having drawn before that against Tottenham on 4 February 2018. The Reds most recent PL loss was in January 2018 away to a resurging Swansea. </p>
<p id="l2DGpK">Liverpool are tied with Lyon for the team who has scored the most away goals in the top five domestic European leagues this season with 34 goals. The Reds have scored 67 Premier League goals this season with Mohamed Salah scoring 24 of those goals, ten more than United’s <span>Romelu Lukaku</span>, who is one goal short of reaching 100 PL goals. Salah has scored in his last five PL matches. Only Daniel Sturridge (eight matches in February 2014) and <span>Michael Owen</span> (six in April 2003) have scored in more consecutive matches. </p>
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<h5 id="F73AtX"><strong>Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)</strong></h5>
<p id="ogmzZL"><strong>Karius; Gomez, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino, Mané</strong></p>
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<p id="I8BvRo"> Klopp made five changes to the team that beat Newcastle last Saturday for our Champions League match against Porto in mid-week, giving <span>Adam Lallana</span> his first start in two months and <span>Danny Ings</span> some game time when he came on as a substitute for Firmino at 62 minutes. Andy Robertson and <span>Georginio Wijnaldum</span> are both in contention for tomorrow’s match and <span>Jordan Henderson</span> has recovered from his recent leg problem. If Jordan does get the run out tomorrow it will be his 200<sup>th</sup> appearance in a Liverpool shirt. <span>Nathaniel Clyne</span> remains unavailable as he looks to regain his match fitness.</p>
<p id="alJdSw">Eric Bailly has been declared fully fit and Maroune Fellaini could return following recovery from his knee injury. <span>Phil Jones</span> (match fitness), <span>Ander Herrera</span> (hamstring) and Marcus Rojo (match fitness) are all still unavailable and Anthony Martial remains side-lined after suffering a knock against Crystal Palace on Monday night. Mourinho indicated during the press conference earlier today that he would basically be fielding the same squad that beat Crystal Palace on Monday night. </p>
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<h5 id="PNWTGF"><strong>What the Managers Had to Say</strong></h5>
<p id="OaFeej"><strong>Jurgen Klopp</strong>: <em>I don’t think that the game needs any extra reasons to be a big game, it’s the biggest game I can imagine. First of all, I’m really looking forward to it but how it always is in these games, they are difficult as well. We need to be at 100 per cent, if not a few more, to get something there – but of course, that’s the plan. I think it’s a good moment to go there, but it’s still an unbelievably difficult moment because Man United have outstanding quality, we all know that, they have a home game, which we would say is an advantage for us if we played at Anfield so now they have that advantage and it’s our job to level that so nobody can see that. Very experienced team, very experienced manager, so it’s quite a job to do.</em></p>
<p id="q7oVVf"><strong>José Mourinho</strong>: <em>For me, it’s just a big match - two historical clubs, not just in England, but in the world. And in this moment, important points for the top four, important points for second position, which is better than third or fourth.</em></p>
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<h5 id="FoFyTi"><strong>The Officials</strong></h5>
<p id="2tNryl"><strong>Referee: </strong>Craig Pawson <strong> Assistants:</strong> Gary Beswick, Peter Kirkup<strong> Fourth official:</strong> Martin Atkinson</p>
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<p id="xdgIXr">Kickoff is set for 12:30PM GMT/07:30AM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2503020/manchester-united-vs-liverpool/"><strong>LiveSoccerTV</strong></a>. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/3/9/17101138/manchester-united-vs-liverpool-preview-team-news-and-ways-to-watch-premier-league-matchweek-30BloodsugarNatz2018-03-09T16:30:02+00:002018-03-09T16:30:02+00:00Nathaniel Clyne Is Close To Match Fitness But Needs Rhythm
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<img alt="Tranmere Rovers v Liverpool - Pre Season Friendly" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yPhrYNpuHJcejE92jU5UU7qaoi0=/0x945:3039x2971/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58967169/813868068.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jürgen Klopp won’t rush the Liverpool right back onto the pitch.</p> <p id="B1UCGq">Running down the injury list during today’s pre-<a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> press conference, Jürgen Klopp was urged to expound on the availability of <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>’s long-suffering <span>Nathaniel Clyne</span>. The right back has been out of action all season and since he’s started to pop up in training photos many a curious observer has wondering when Clyne might be reintroduced to the squad. And the fact that the England defender has not made his way onto any of Klopp’s team sheets has caused some to worry that Clyne’s woes are not exactly over.</p>
<p id="TTJeoG">“Clyney is still on a very good way,” explained Klopp. “No further injury since he’s back.”</p>
<p id="Fi9x0a">But the manager clarified his stance on the right back position when pressed to comment on the potential for Clyne to be included in the squad to face United.</p>
<p id="SvTGwc">“We can be 100% honest, we don’t have any issues in the right back situation,” Klopp said. “Only because Clyney is back, but has absolutely no rhythm, why should I make changes? </p>
<p id="Zxhr0q">“Trent is doing really well. And for Clyney it’s very important that he still can build up. And if there’s a moment when we really need him that he’s ready for that. </p>
<p id="yOT0ef">“Nobody wants a player to have a long-term injury but if it happens then sometimes things change a little bit, for the moment.</p>
<p id="UnKrbP">“Clyney didn’t lose a percentage of his quality but he has no rhythm obviously, no matches or one match in the last nine months or so. That cannot be the same like it is with the other two boys, Joe and Trent. But he’s close to match fitness.”</p>
<p id="x5hoLu">There’s the possibility that we won’t see Nathaniel Clyne pull on the red shirt this season at all. And that makes sense when you take into account how well Trent Alexander-Arnold and <span>Joe Gomez</span> have been playing for Liverpool. But the player is still in the manager’s plans and, who knows, if Liverpool can lock up second place in the Premier League with a few games to go, maybe Clyne gets finish out the season as a sort of injury-free victory lap.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2018/3/9/17099800/nathaniel-clyne-close-to-match-fitness-but-needs-rhythm-trent-alexander-arnold-joe-gomezMatt Wood