Liverpool vs Manchester United Preview

The Red Devils take on the Reds on Sunday. 

The oldest rivalry in club football will partake in the unimaginable and beyond entertaining 2015-16 English Premier League season as Liverpool F.C. host Manchester United at 9:05 a.m. on Sunday.

Both English giants are in the midst of their worst Premier League season in years, setting up a more desired three points for both team than ever. Liverpool sit in ninth place, having tied their last two matches to championship side Exeter 2-2 and title contenders Arsenal 3-3.

On the other hand, the Red Devils are in sixth place in the league, drawing to Newcastle United 3-3 after beating championship club Sheffield United with a late Wayne Rooney's penalty. The English striker netted in United's last three games after going 15 games without scoring.

Wayne Rooney takes the spot kick for Manchester United against Newcastle on Tuesday.

Pre-match press-conference

Manchester United's manager Louis van Gaal claimed that his side is going through a rebuilding time, he "cannot imagine" them struggling for long as Liverpool has been in recent years.

"But I cannot imagine it [a long-run of struggle] will be the same [as Liverpool] for Manchester United," the former Bayern Munich boss said. "It's [United] too big, too well organized and we have an infrastructure and we are improving that every year."

Yet he praises the Reds' manager. "He [Jurgen Klopp] is a very capable manager in the Premier League because he has always showed this kind of football and I think the fans will love it," Van Gaal said.

Jurgen Klopp at the Manchester United game pre-match press conference.

Klopp returned praises to his colleague-rival. "[Van Gaal] is one of the best managers in the world," the German told reporters at the pre-match press conference. "He won a lot of titles, not only in Germany."

The most memorable words of the beloved Liverpool manager before Sunday's clash is that he could've been sitting in the away dugout on Sunday.

"There was a time [when United was interested in me] but I could not leave Dortmund [on April 2013]," Klopp recounted.

The two bosses faced each other four times in the Bundesliga as Klopp coached Borussia Dortmund when Van Gaal managed Bayern Munich, sharing two wins each. But this time around they will compete against each other in a total different league, the EPL, and with two teams fighting to crawl back to winning ways.

Injuries (doubtful)

Liverpool: CB Martin Skrtel, CAM Philippe Coutinho, FWD Divock Origi, RB Jon Flanagan, FWD Danny Ings, DF Joseph Gomez, MF Jordan Rossiter, (DF Dejan Lovren, FWD Daniel Sturridge, FWD Jordan Ibe).

Manchester United: CDM Michael Carrick, RB Antonio Valencia, RB Marcus Rojo, MF Nick Powell, DF Luke Shaw, (DF Phil Jones, CM Bastian Schweinsteiger)

Predicted Starting XI

Liverpool: (4-2-3-1) GK Simon Mignolet, RB Nathaniel Clyne, CB Kolo Toure, CB Mamadou Sakho, LB Alberto Moreno, CDM Jordan Henderson, CDM James Milner, MF Emre Can MF Joe Allen, MF Adam Lallana, CF Roberto Firmino.

Manchester United: (4-2-3-1) GK David de Gea, RB Ashley Young, CB Chris Smalling, CB Daley Blind, LB Matteo Darmian, CDM Marouane Fellaini, CDM Morgan Schneiderlin, MF Jesse Lingard, MF Juan Mata, MF Anthony Martial, CF Wayne Rooney.

Players to Watch

Liverpool: Roberto Firmino, Joe Allen.

Manchester United: Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial.

Last Meeting:

Manchester United 3- 1 Liverpool  (9-12-15)



Sources: goal, skysports.