The Europa League finally has the glamour tie it has been craving since the Uefa Cup was re-branded.
Manchester United and Liverpool will meet twice in Europa League action over the next week and the competition might represent the best chance both teams have of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
However, the prospect of doing that – by winning the whole competition – has taken a back seat to competitive rivalry.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was asked if both team’s playing in Europe’s second-tier competition was a sign of both United and Liverpool’s demise. He responded:
“You live in the past. You need to live in present.”
At present, United are sixth in the league with Liverpool a place further back. Respectively, they are 13 and 16 points worse off that Leicester City.
Returning to the recent past, Van Gaal simply purred when his four-match winning streak over the Reds was brought up.
“When I beat teams like Liverpool then the appreciation is higher,” he said. “I hope we shall beat them for the fifth time and the sixth time but more for the fans than myself.”
Van Gaal told reporters that Antonio Valencia should be fit for the game but it is too soon for Bastian Schweinsteiger to return.
