Liverpool waited quietly for Manchester United's visit at Anfield with the prestige of winning the league title.
The two semifinals of the Champions League were the English national derby and the Spanish national derby, which was enough to shock everyone!
The European media hailed the season of the battle between the kings of the English and the Spanish. No matter what the outcome of the semifinals was, it would be the meeting of the English and La Liga teams at the summit of Europe!
After Liverpool had rested and honed their strength, the team's overall state was adjusted to its best and they could put all their energy into the Champions League.
Manchester United was actually also accumulating strength for the Champions League.
In the last round of the league tournament, they had hidden a lot of their main players. Even Little Pea, who scored, was a substitute.
On April 26, the day before the Champions League semifinals.
Ferguson attended the pre-match press conference. He finally admitted that Manchester United had lost to Liverpool in the league competition, but he also drew a line between the Champions League and the league competition.
"The league competition is about endurance and stability. The reason why Liverpool's performance this season is better than last season is that they have strengthened the team's bench and are better able to cope with players' injuries. At the same time, it is undeniable that they have star players who can play a decisive role in critical moments. This is the reason why they finally left Manchester United behind to win the Premier League title. Manchester United made a lot of mistakes in the league, especially at the beginning of the season. Their poor away record dragged us down and made us a pursuer from the beginning.
But the Champions League is completely different, especially in the knockout stage.
It is not 38 games that determine the outcome, but two games, 180 minutes or 210 minutes. Manchester United has now adjusted. I believe that at the end of the two legs, Manchester United will be the one to advance to the final, not Liverpool! "
When talking about how to deal with Liverpool, Ferguson pointed out that Manchester United would play to their own characteristics as much as possible. Only in this way could they restrain Liverpool.
Comain had shown enough respect to Ferguson at the pre-match press conference, and he had expressed a certain amount of respect.
"It's my great honor to be able to compete with Sir Ferguson's team in the European arena and move the English National Derby to the stage of the Champions League semi-finals. We defeated Manchester United in the league tournament, whether it's the title or the competition. But that doesn't mean that Liverpool can take Manchester United lightly. The probability of both teams advancing to the Champions League final in two rounds is 50% for both teams!"
On the night of April 27th, Anfield was packed to the brim. The enthusiasm at the Champions League stadium was extraordinary. Coupled with the fact that it was an English national derby against their arch-rivals, Manchester United, the fans naturally fought to get into the stadium.
The magnificent cheers went on in the Anfield stands as the Manchester United players and Liverpool players met in the tunnel.
The players from both teams held their heads high and put on a fighting stance.
On the sidelines, Ferguson sat in the technical area chewing gum. He knew that this would not be an easy game, especially since Liverpool would be attacking the Champions League after winning the league title.
Liverpool's offensive firepower made Manchester United very fearful. The strong control in the midfield and the hot form of the strikers on the front line were all problems that gave Ferguson a headache.
It would be difficult for Manchester United to win in the away game today, but if they could get a draw with an away goal, Ferguson would be very happy.
That meant that Manchester United's probability of advancing would be greatly improved when they returned to Old Trafford.
The players from both teams began to enter the stadium under the lead of the referee team.
"Welcome to the home of Liverpool in England, Anfield. The Champions League semi-final in England will be the English national derby between Liverpool and Manchester United.
I believe everyone knows that the other semi-final is the Spanish national derby between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In the season of the battle for the king of the English West, let's first take a look at the game between Liverpool and Manchester United.
Just last weekend, Liverpool won the Premier League title at home this season. They have achieved dominance of the Premier League for two years in a row. Manchester United will be the runner-up if nothing unexpected happens.
In the past few seasons, Manchester United's game record against Liverpool was not good. Even during the Benítez era, Manchester United did not gain much advantage over Liverpool. In the Comain era, Liverpool won an overwhelming victory over Manchester United!
Liverpool only lost to Manchester United in a cup game.
But the Champions League happened to be a cup game. Would Manchester United create problems for Liverpool in the away game today? Let's wait and see.
First, let's take a look at the starting lineup of both teams.
Liverpool's starting lineup is 4-4-2. Comain did not use the 4-3-3 formation that he used more in the past.
Goalkeeper: Reina.
Defenders: Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Baines.
Midfielders: Gerard, Mascherano, Alonso, Meireles.
Forwards: Raúl, Qin Xiong.
In fact, Liverpool has used many formations this season, such as 433,442,4231, and so on. They have been able to switch their team's formation according to the situation in the game.
This is one of Liverpool's strengths.
Manchester United's starting lineup is 4-4-2 today.
Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar.
Defenders: Fábio, Ferdinand, Vidic, Patrice Evra.
Midfielders: Valencia, Carrick, Park Ji-sung, Ryan Giggs.
Forwards: Rooney, Hernandez.
Chicharito Hernandez has been in good form recently, which is the main reason why he beat Berbatov in the starting lineup. Manchester United's 4-4-2 formation will make people worry about whether their midfield defense can withstand Liverpool's powerful offense. If they reduce a striker and add a midfielder, it may give them more ability to compete with Liverpool in the midfield.
The kick-off ceremony before the start of the game has been completed. Next, let's enjoy this English national derby in the Champions League! "
Although Manchester United's formation is 4-4-2, it can actually be said to be a 4-3-1 or 4-5-1 formation.
As Scholes is on the verge of retirement, Manchester United's ability to organize attacks in the midfield has declined. Rooney's withdrawal most of the time has yielded good results. Coupled with his ability to compete, Manchester United now uses Rooney more in the role of a front-field organizer.
As Fábio's defense on the right flank has to go up against Qin Xiong, because Qin Xiong has the habit of attacking, he also plays as the left winger in Liverpool's 4-3-3 formation. Therefore, Manchester United's defense on the right flank today was not just the full-backs. Valencia stayed more in the backfield to block Qin Xiong.
The impact on the other side is relatively lower. Patrice Evra's individual ability is very strong. It is enough that he is not at a disadvantage even when he goes up against Gerard. If Johnson dares to rush in to assist, the Welsh veteran Giggs may teach him a lesson.
Liverpool's side seems to be playing 4-4-2. In fact, it is up to them to decide what formation to play. It is just a matter of whether the overall level of tacit understanding can be achieved. Gerard can pull the side and play as a winger. At least there will not be too much of a problem in the offensive positioning and movement.
This game can be described as tit for tat. The considerations of restriction and counter-restriction of the two teams' managers are integrated into the game's technical tactics.
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