10
Thursday, July 26, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
In
the
wake
of
the
International
Champions
Cup
showdown
between
Manchester United and
Liverpool,
the
casual
American sports fan may
be at a loss as to what
to look for. As familiar
as the venue might be —
Michigan Stadium — the
unfolding
events
may
not be as welcoming. To
make you seem like you
know what you’re talking
about on Saturday, the
Daily breaks down what
to expect on the pitch
and how to appreciate
the intricacies of the
other football.
Liverpool:
New Look Midfield:
On paper, last season’s
starting midfield of Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain,
Jordan Henderson and
James
Milner
wasn’t
one
that
necessarily
looked on par with that
of title rivals like the
two Manchester clubs
and European giants like
Real Madrid.
With Milner turning
33 next season, Emre Can
having left for Juventus
and
Chamberlain
succumbing to an ACL
injury that ruled him
out for part of the new
season, manager Jurgen
Klopp
desperately
needed
to
find
reinforcements.
The signing of Naby
Keita
from
Red
Bull
Leipzig was tied up last
year. The dynamic box-
to-box midfielder and
Klopp’s style of football
appear a match made in
football heaven. With
an impressive range of
vision, a tireless work
ethic and an eye for
goals, the Guinea captain
will
provide
a
spark
from the heart of the
midfield that Liverpool
desperately needed since
Chamberlain’s injury.
Fabinho was signed
from
Monaco
this
transfer
window.
The
all-action
defensive
midfielder
played
an
integral role in guiding
Monaco to the 2016-17
Ligue 1 title over PSG.
He will provide much
needed defensive cover
in front of the Liverpool
backline
which
was
the
Merseyside
club’s
Achilles heel last season,
Keeper included.
Both
new
signings
should be on display
Saturday,
playing
in
their first derby against
Manchester United.
Attacking
Reinforcements:
Defenders
across
Europe shook in their
expensive
cleats
at
the thought of playing
against Mohamed Salah,
Sadio Mane and Roberto
Firmino. Only Cristiano
Ronaldo had more goals
than the three in the
Champions League, and
it
took
Lionel
Messi
to keep the European
Golden Boot away from
Salah. Not bad company
to sit behind.
But
when
Salah
got subbed off in the
Champions
League
Final with a shoulder
injury,
Liverpool’s
ferociousness
left
the
pitch
with
him.
No
substitute looked close
to giving Liverpool the
extra gear they needed
that night in Kiev.
Daniel Sturridge was
once Liverpool’s second
best striker in the days
of Luis Suarez. A plague
of injuries and bad form
had all but threatened
to
end
his
Anfield
career.
Three
goals
thus far in pre-season
have Sturridge looking
sharper than he has in
months, as he looks to
fight for his place in the
squad.
Backups
Dominic
Solanke
and
Divok
Origi haven’t inspired
confidence
during
pre-season.
As
such,
Liverpool
signed
Xherdan
Shaqiri,
Switzerland’s
standout
performer over the last
two World Cups. They
signed him for £13.5
million following Stoke
City’s relegation. Should
his
World
Cup
form
carry
over,
he
could
give Klopp a welcomed
selection headache.
Shaqiri,
Sturridge,
Solanke and Origi will
all be looking to make
a case for themselves
before the start of next
season. What better way
to impress your manager
than by scoring against
your
club’s
eternal
rivals?
Formation Changes:
Liverpool
played
in
a
free-flowing
4-3-3
formation for most of
last year. Following the
injury to Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain,
however,
Klopp
occasionally
played a 4-2-3-1, with
Solanke sitting ahead of
Firmino who played in a
deeper, more traditional
No.10 role.
Klopp
has
tinkered
with
this
formation
throughout
the
pre-
season as well, especially
given Naby Keita and
Fabinhio’s proficiency in
the two midfield roles.
Teenage
forward
Ben
Woodburn has looked
promising as well and
could
be
given
more
game time to develop.
Expect more tactical
changes this weekend
as Klopp tinkers with
Liverpool’s
formation
and personnel, looking
to get his squad ready for
the start of the Premier
League season.
Manchester United:
Alexis Sanchez:
Manchester
United
orchestrated
a
coup
with
the
signing
of
Arsenal’s star forward,
Alexis Sanchez, getting
him
in
exchange
for
want-away
midfielder
Henrikh
Mkhitaryan.
Fast forward six months,
and it seems Arsenal got
the better deal.
Sanchez’s talent and
work ethic are beyond
question, but for some
reason he never quite fit
in to Jose Mourinho’s
tactical setup. Flashes
of
brilliance
were
overshadowed
by
subdued
appearances.
Relentless
inconsistencies perfectly
embody
Sanchez’s
career.
However, following a
full preseason with his
new team, Sanchez looks
more comfortable in his
new surroundings. His
first two games have
been
promising,
and
playing
against
club
rival
Liverpool
could
see a big game out of the
Chilean.
United
fans
should
be licking their lips at
the prospect of seeing
Sanchez
linkup
with
Paul Pogba and Romelu
Lukaku next season.
New
signing:
Frederico Rodrigues de
Paula Santos (Fred):
With
a
midfield
compromised
of
Paul
Pogba,
Marouane
Fellaini
and
Nemanja
Matic, Mourinho has a
contingent of physically
strong
midfield
enforcers. Standing at 5
feet and 7 inches, Fred
provides a different kind
of player.
Quick and agile off his
feet with a sharp passing
range, Fred provides a
more creative outlet to
Manchester United, one
that it sorely lacked last
season,
often
looking
bereft
of
creativity.
Adept
at
starting
counter-attacks
and
unlocking defenses, the
Brazilian should make
Manchester
United
a
more exciting outfit next
season.
Fred is also versatile
in that, despite being
labeled
an
offensive
conductor, he was also
FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s
top tackler last season.
He
can
easily
fit
alongside Matic in a
defensive
midfield
position allowing Pogba
the freedom to venture
further up-field where
the Frenchman thrives.
Having been an unused
part of Brazil’s World
Cup squad, Fred should
be looking to stretch his
legs and impress during
any game time he sees
this summer, especially
against Liverpool.
The curious case of
Anthony Martial:
Since
sending
Old
Trafford into raptures
on his debut with a
goal against Liverpool,
Anthony
Martial’s
career has seen vertigo
inducing
highs
and
damning lows.
A stellar first season
with the club saw him
labeled as the future of
the club. An indifferent
second year saw him left
out of France’s world
cup winning squad and
overlooked in favor of
younger, more promising
talent.
Just 22 and unhappy
with
not
being
guaranteed
a
starting
spot, Martial could be
looking for new pastures.
With
Bayern
Munich
and Chelsea reportedly
interested, he could soon
be leaving Manchester
United.
Jose
Mourinho,
however, would rather
not lose a player of
his
caliber,
especially
considering
fellow
forwards
Marcus
Rashford
and
Romelu
Lukaku may not be fully
fit following long World
Cup campaigns.
Martial
could
be
playing
for
his
Manchester
United
future
on
Saturday,
or
auditioning
for
a
new club that would
more than welcome his
signing.
***
On Saturday, whether
or not you know how to
pronounce the players’
names or the storied
past
of
Manchester
United and Liverpool,
the matchup will surely
be something to behold.
But as with all sporting
events, the more you
know heading in, the
richer the experience.
And as soccer slowly
gains popularity in the
states, there’s no doubt
a spectacle of this size
will create some new
fans of the most popular
sport in the world.
Things to know: Man United vs. Liverpool
FAHD AHSAN
Former Daily Sports Writer
COURTESY OF TWITTER, @CHAMPIONSLEAGUE
English soccer clubs Manchester Utd. and Liverpool are playing at the Big House and The Daily tells you all you need to know about the