There are few football rivalries as fierce as Liverpool vs Manchester United. Meetings between these two giants of English football always generate a huge amount of interest all over the world, as punters and predictors analyse the football odds to try and determine who will win. With the two sides set to square off on January 17th, let’s take a look back at the last five meetings between the two teams.
The last five meetings of Liverpool and Manchester United
March 2018: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Manchester United’s last victory over Liverpool came in March 2018, when Marcus Rashford produced a fine display, scoring twice to give United a swift first-half lead. Liverpool were blown out of the water, and although they eventually got on the scoresheet through an Eric Bailly own goal, it was a disappointing afternoon for the Merseyside club, who have found wins at Old Trafford hard to come by in recent years.
December 2018: Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United
The Reds would get their revenge later that year, as they triumphed 3-1 over United at Anfield in the first meeting of the clubs in the 2018-19 season. The sides were level at half-time, after United’s Jesse Lingard cancelled out Sadio Mané’s opener. But in the second half, Liverpool found their mojo, as substitute Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice late on to send Anfield into raptures. The loss for United was significant as it would prove to be the final straw for manager José Mourinho, who was dismissed from his role as manager soon after.
February 2019: Manchester United 0-0 Liverpool
While the December meeting of the two teams had been thoroughly entertaining, the fixture at Old Trafford the following February proved to be a drab affair, as neither side could find an opening. United suffered greatly with injuries during the game, but Liverpool could not take advantage, and were forced to settle for a point, which would ultimately cost them in their quest for the Premier League title.
October 2019: Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool went into this game having enjoyed a 100% winning start to the 2019-20 Premier League season, but United brought their winning run grinding to a halt at Old Trafford. The home side took the lead midway through the first-half in controversial fashion, with Rashford prodding home from close range despite Divock Origi seemingly being fouled in the build-up.
Mané thought he had equalised soon after, but the goal was ruled out for handball as Liverpool bemoaned their bad luck. With defeat looking almost certain, substitute Adam Lallana eventually popped up with the equaliser for the Reds, sparking scenes of delirium amongst the away support.
January 2020: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
The second meeting of the teams last season proved to be a more straight-forward affair for Liverpool, as they recorded a 2-0 home win courtesy of Virgil van Dijk’s first-half header and Mohamed Salah’s late second. United made life difficult for Liverpool at times, but the result never really looked in doubt.
For many Liverpool fans, this was seen as the moment where they truly believed that the team were going to deliver the club’s 19th English league title, as victory put them 16 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. “We’re going to win the league,” duly rang around Anfield, a feat which Liverpool ultimately achieved with comfort.