Liverpool and Manchester United clash on Sunday, the 19th of October. This is the latest instalment in what is one of the fiercest and most hateful rivalries in English football. It should, as always, be an interesting game, and with the Merseysiders on home soil, they will be big favourites to take all three points.
That said, for all the talk of the Red Devils being in crisis – and also of Liverpool having made, at least initially, a fantastic start to the campaign – if United can cause an upset at Anfield they will move to within two points of their hosts. There is sure to be plenty of passion in the stands and on the pitch, and ahead of the game we’ve got a broader look at the rivalry between the teams.
Liverpool v Man United H2H
These two giants of English football, who have won the top-tier title a massive 40 times between them (with honours even at 20 apiece right now), are easily the two most successful teams in the country. In addition to their many league titles, both have won just about every cup going and boast nine Champions League titles (including European Cups) between them.
Liverpool have the upper hand there with six to United’s three, but in terms of FA Cups it is the Manchester side out in front with 13 wins to eight. In the EFL Cup, both, again, have multiple victories, though Liverpool are the most successful club in that competition’s history and their haul of 10 wins is four more than United have.
With both having consistently been in the top tier of English football, and regularly reaching the later stages of the cups, it is no surprise that they have met many, many times. Indeed, they have faced each other 19 times in the FA Cup alone.
Ahead of their upcoming clash in October 2025, they have played one another 216 times in total. The Red Devils have the edge, boasting 83 wins, with their rivals mustering 72 and the spoils being shared 61 times.
Unsurprisingly, the home side has recorded better results in both cases. United have won exactly half of their 104 home games with the Reds. That more focused head-to-head at United stands at 104 games, 52 wins for United, 32 draws and 20 Liverpool victories. When the Red Devils have been away, they have lost 48 of 99 games, drawing 25 times, with 26 wins.
Additionally, there have been 13 meetings on neutral territory, chiefly Wembley. Man Utd have won five of these, with four draws and four wins for the Merseysiders. Perhaps showing just how equal this rivalry is, in addition to the fact that both have won 20 league titles, they have both scored 291 times in this fixture. So, incredibly, over a massive 216 meetings, the goal difference is exactly level.
Competition Head-to-Head
The rivalry can be broken down and filtered in so many ways. However, the table below shows the H2H record in the various competitions in which Liverpool and Man United have met. Surprisingly, they have never met in the European Cup or Champions League, with just two games (one tie) between them in European competition. Note that some resources list more clashes between these teams. The figures below exclude friendly games and lesser competitions that took place in the 1940s and earlier, including the North Region War League and the Lancashire Cup.
| Competition | Liverpool Wins | Draws | Man United Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| League | 62 | 53 | 69 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| League Cup | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Community Shield | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Europa League | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Play-offs | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Recent Results
For those interested in betting on the upcoming fixture – or even any clash between the two in the near future – recent results may be of more interest than the wider picture of the historic data. While Liverpool have been much the better side for some time now, United have not done as badly against their big rivals as some might expect. That is especially the case at home, though of course that is of less relevance for the next meeting on the calendar at Anfield.
Over the last 10 games, nine in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup, Liverpool have won five, United have won two, and there have been three draws. However, one of the wins for the Red Devils came in the FA Cup, a 4-3 thriller.
Moreover, many of the wins for Liverpool over the past few years have been emphatic to say the least. They have won 5-0 and 3-0 at Old Trafford, as well as recording home victories of 4-0 and 7-0. Before United fans give up hope for Sunday, though, the most recent clash ended 2-2 at Anfield in January this year!