Manchester United vs Liverpool preview: Ander Herrera confident United can upset Red rivals

'Thursday will be completely different to the first game'

(Getty Images)

Ander Herrera has warned Liverpool that even the Old Trafford grass will be in Manchester United’s favour on Thursday after insisting that Louis van Gaal’s team are ready to produce a famous Europa League fightback to eliminate their bitter rivals.

United must overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit to progress to the quarter-finals after being comprehensively outplayed at Anfield last Thursday.

The club have twice fought back from 2-0 down to claim 3-2 aggregate victories in Europe – against Barcelona in 1984 and Olympiakos two years ago – and Spanish midfielder Herrera insists that belief is high within the squad that United can write another dramatic chapter in their history against Liverpool.

“Thursday will be completely different to the first game,” Herrera said. “Old Trafford is different. The pitch is bigger and the grass is better.

“It is another challenge for us, but I think we’re ready and we want to make it a very difficult night for them.

“We are Man United and if they [Liverpool] want to go to the quarter-finals, they are going to have to fight a lot.”

Liverpool have conceded three goals on their last two visits to Old Trafford – a statistic that will boost United’s optimism – but a goal for Jurgen Klopp’s team on Thursday would leave Van Gaal’s players needing to score four times.

Despite that scenario, Van Gaal claims that the 5-1 home victory against FC Midtjylland in the last round offers proof that United can score the goals required to qualify for the last eight.

“We think about making goals,” Van Gaal said. “We have done that against Midtjylland, the last opponent before Liverpool.

“We only have to think we have to beat Liverpool – and beat them 2-0, not 3-0, because we can do it in extra time.

“We can do it 2-0 and then we have a chance to reach the next round. You know we have scored goals within three or four minutes this season so it is possible.

“The pressure is that we lost 2-0. Man United, the players and myself want to survive and go to the next round, that’s the pressure and the challenge also.”

The manner of United’s defeat on Merseyside last week prompted anger among supporters and former players, with Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand both delivering stinging criticism of Van Gaal and his players.

But Herrera, who played the final eleven minutes as a substitute at Anfield, insists it is wrong to suggest that the players lacked heart and fight.

“I don’t agree with that,” Herrera said. “We always fight, we always have the desire to win, but every game is different and Liverpool are in a very good form.

“But you can never say that we don’t want to win or fight and everyone has to respect us on that issue.

“We want to fight, always, and we are very proud because we are Manchester United players.

“We should have played much better, but now we have another chance on Thursday.

“When you have such a bad game, you don’t have to think too much what happened. The next challenge is this one because it is the biggest opponent for our fans and our history.”

United have won four of five encounters with Liverpool since Van Gaal took charge in the summer of 2014 and Herrera believes that the home side’s recent dominance at Old Trafford gives United an advantage.

“Since I was here at United, we have played five times against them and won four times,” Herrera said. “Two times we have played them at home and we won clearly.

“I think we were the better team and when we play at home we feel stronger. We have more fans at home and our fans for me are the best in England.

“But first we must score a goal and then another game will come.

“They are not so comfy playing here in front our fans. We have the capacity and the quality to do it.”