Liverpool take on Manchester United at Anfield on Monday night and Sport360 asked former Kop favourite John Arne Riise to cast his mind back to some of his experiences in this storied fixture.
Currently plying his trade with Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), Riise also picked out a few players he expects to stand out and revealed his prediction.
Which is your best memory playing against United and which is your worst?
The best one has to be the free-kick I scored against them in 2001. Any defeat against United was a bad experience. The fixture means so much to the fans that as a player you know you have let the fans down when you lose this fixture.
What do you remember about the shot you took that resulted in a freak injury for Alan Smith in the 2006 FA Cup tie?
Well, it was an unfortunate incident. I struck the free-kick and he tried to block it. It hit his ankle and it got twisted. I could see a part of his ankle lying separately. I felt sick.
These things happen in football and I spoke to him while he was in hospital but there is no doubt that the injury was a big setback to his career. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but it was very unfortunate for him.
Which United player was the toughest you played against?
(Antonio) Valencia and Nani were always tough to play against but I would have to pick (Cristiano) Ronaldo. Against Ronaldo, you know you could have a great game and still suffer because he is so fit and keeps going at a great intensity for 90 minutes.
Which current United player should Liverpool be most wary of?
I think Zlatan (Ibrahimovic). (Paul) Pogba has also started hitting form but knowing the quality and experience of Zlatan, I would say he will be very dangerous.
Which current Liverpool player is the most threatening?
I like (Philippe) Coutinho a lot. (Roberto) Firmino is also an important player and I would like to mention (Jordan) Henderson also, he has improved a lot this season.
Prediction?
2-0 to Liverpool.
