On a normal day, when Manchester United loses a match, their fans become the most active on Twitter and other social media platforms. However, the situation will be slightly different on Thursday when they face Liverpool. After the 2-1 defeat to Leicester City, many Red Devils fans seemed indifferent to the match's result. Instead, Liverpool fans took to social media to lament and point fingers at their rivals for not fielding their strongest lineup against Leicester City.
The Reds are preparing to face Norwegian coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær's team on Thursday after the match was rescheduled following protests at Old Trafford prior to the teams' scheduled meeting on May 2. Manchester United currently sits in second place with 70 points, ten points behind Manchester City, who recently clinched the Premier League title. Meanwhile, Liverpool is in sixth place with 57 points, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, the team qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool needs to win their next four matches to secure a spot in next season's Champions League.
### Qualification for the Champions League at Stake:
While Manchester United has already secured its place in next season's Champions League, Liverpool is still struggling to break into the top four. The Reds currently sit sixth in the Premier League and are at significant risk of missing out on Champions League qualification. Despite having played two fewer matches than Chelsea and Leicester City, Jurgen Klopp's team must defeat Manchester United on Thursday to have any chance of reaching the top four.
### A Season to Forget for the Reds:
There have been many "maybes" and "what ifs" regarding Liverpool's title defense campaign. The Reds have been disappointing this season, suffering from a series of injuries to key players. They might have finished the season in a better position if they had not lost heavyweight players like Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson, and Alisson Becker for substantial periods.
But there is no time to look back. The situation stands as it is, and Liverpool must now aim to finish the season strongly and hope for the best. It is humiliating enough for the Reds to be out of next season’s Champions League, so manager Jurgen Klopp and his players must fight to avoid dropping any points at Old Trafford.
Klopp acknowledged in comments reported by "Sky Sports": “If we hadn’t had the injury problems we’ve had this year, the season could have looked different, could we have been champions?” He added: “Qualification for the Champions League is incredibly tough, but we would have a better chance than we do now, if it weren’t for the issues we faced.”
Liverpool has suffered greatly this season, but a win over Manchester United would certainly boost their slim chances of finishing in the top four. However, anything less than that will be a disaster for the team next season.
