REDS MORE 'MATURE' THAN RED DEVILS

Ten Hag says rivals have advantage of playing together a long time, but 'we can always win'

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Liverpool are a more mature side than Manchester United, with the advantage of a cohesive team of established players, the Red Devils' manager Erik ten Hag said ahead of the English Premier League clash between the bitter rivals at Old Trafford on Sept 1.

"Liverpool are in a different phase of the life cycle," he explained on Aug 30. "They are a mature team with players who have played together for a long time and are very experienced.

"We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."

United have not beaten Liverpool in the league since a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in August 2022, though the Red Devils did prevail 4-3 over former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp's side en route to winning the FA Cup last season.

Liverpool finished third in the league last season, five places and 22 points ahead of United, but ten Hag also said his side could take heart from their performance against Manchester City in the Cup final.

"We can always win, last year we won (in the FA Cup) in the second part of the season," the 54-year-old Dutchman said.