Manchester United vs Liverpool Prediction and Betting Tips: Red Meets Red At Old Trafford In Battle For UCL Qualification

United sit third in the standings after their win over Brentford on Monday, 11 points clear of Brighton heading into Matchday 35, knowing they only need two more points to make sure of their place in UEFA’s premier competition.

The Red Devils will be fairly confident they can walk away with victory this weekend, given their turn in fortunes since Michael Carrick took over in January. 

Since his first game in charge this season, the Red Devils have won more points than any other side (29).

Liverpool, meanwhile, sit three points behind them, having leapfrogged Aston Villa with a victory over Crystal Palace last time out. They still need five points to confirm UCL qualification, though.

And the Reds will feel confident they can take another big step closer to their goal at Old Trafford. They come into this one off the back of consecutive league wins over Fulham, Everton and Palace. 

However, the Reds have won only one of their last 12 league games against sides starting the day in the top three (D7 L4).

Arne Slot’s men have struggled on the road at times this season and had lost two back-to-back trips to Wolves and Brighton before snatching a dramatic last-gasp victory over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium in their last away game.

*Odds sourced from SportyBet and are correct at the time of publishing. Always gamble responsibly.

Man United have regained some form after a mini wobble, with back-to-back wins seeing them all-but secure their place in next season's Champions League - and with the shackles off, we think their exciting frontline could really hit their stride between now and the end of the season.

The Red Devils haven't failed to score in a match since November, and with Liverpool finding the net at least once in each of their last 13 Premier League games, goals are almost guaranteed whenever these two play.

Eight of the last nine meetings between Man United and Liverpool have featured at least three goals, so we're anticipating another high-scoring contest - with over 3.5 goals scored at Old Trafford this weekend.

Neither Man United nor Liverpool have been blowing opponents to smithereens during their recent positive stretches, and an encounter as tight at the table should ensue at Old Trafford.

However, Carrick had an immediate transformative effect on United’s results, and their momentum shows no signs of slowing.

Their performance against Brentford was not perfect, but United’s effective half-time formation change suggested a new maturity in the squad.

A Liverpool victory is surely out of the question given their injury concerns, so we’re backing them to either cancel each other out or the Red Devils to narrowly edge them to regain their Champions League status.

On an afternoon where attacks could easily come out on top, we're tipping Bryan Mbeumo to pose a constant threat down Man United's right-hand side, with the Cameroon international having at least one shot on target against Liverpool.

Mbeumo scored inside two minutes in October's reverse fixture at Anfield, and with the 26-year-old averaging one shot on target per 90 in the league this season, we're expecting him to continue that trend here.

He takes more than two shots per game on average, and with Liverpool likely fielding their third-choice goalkeeper in Freddie Woodman, the Man United players will be looking to try their luck whenever they get the chance.

Mbeumo is due a goal, last finding the net against Spurs in February, so we're backing 1+ shots on target for the versatile forward as he looks to end his mini drought.

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Woodman; Jones, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Matheus Cunha was pictured in training on Thursday after missing the Brentford victory with a minor hip injury.

There is also optimism that Luke Shaw will be fine to feature, despite coming off injured last time out, while defensive duo Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Lisandro Martinez (suspended) are both missing.

Liverpool are dealing with a wealth of absentees, with Hugo Ekitike the most recent addition to the list after he ruptured his Achilles tendon last month.

Mohamed Salah is set to miss out with a hamstring problem, which may bring an early end to his Liverpool career, while Alisson Becker is a doubt with a similar problem.

A knee injury has ruled Giorgi Mamardashvili out, while Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni.