Louis Van Gaal and Jurgen Klopp's old history, Anthony Martial & Marcus Rashford...LiveSoccerTV.com takes a look at some interesting facts & stats ahead of the titanic UEL clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

It has been billed as the biggest Europa League round of 16 tie of this season's edition, featuring Liverpool vs. Manchester United. Two of England's most successful clubs going toe-to-toe in a match that many would have enjoyed to see in a final, and in past seasons perhaps even in a Champions League clash. So, given the mammoth hype this game has been receiving ever since the pairings were announced, and the rich history between the Reds and the Red Devils, we take a quick look at some interesting stats and facts before today's meeting at Anfield.

1. We've got 194 prior meetings...but a European game ain't one

Today will be the 195th match between these two English giants, but curiously enough, Liverpool and Manchester United have never met in European competition. Yes, that is correct: over their long and storied histories, the Reds and the Red Devils somehow have managed to avoid playing each other in the Champions League, but now will face off for the first time in European club football's second-tier competition.

2. So far so good: Louis Van Gaal's record against Liverpool

Although the Dutch tactician has had his fair share of critics ever since arriving at Old Trafford, one thing Louis Van Gaal can at least boast to is so far enjoying a 100 per cent win record against Liverpool. In those four matches contested over his two terms with the Red Devils, Manchester United have outscored their opponents by a total of nine goals to two.

Should Jurgen Klopp manage to lead his team to a win tonight, it will be the first time Liverpool have beaten Manchester United since the 2013/2014 season...when they were under the guidance of David Moyes.

3. To England by way of Germany...yet another "Klassiker" clash between Van Gaal and Klopp

Bundesliga fans will certainly be aware of the old rivalry between Van Gaal and Klopp whilst they were in charge of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively. During the 2009/2010 season, Van Gaal completed a double over his tacticial opponent, only to see the tables turned the subsequent campaign, and before re-meeting in England, each had enjoyed two wins against each other.

The teams, the country, and the atmosphere may have changed, but it will still be an interesting personal duel between these two tacticians. Who will come out on top tonight?

4. "What you do, I can do too": Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford

On February 25th, Marcus Rashford made his Manchester United senior debut, taking the place of another promising youngster - Anthony Martial - who had been injured in the warm-up. 90 minutes later, Rashford had scored two goals against Danish outfit Midtjylland and in doing so, not just helped to fire the Red Devils into the round of 16, but became the team's youngest ever goalscorer in European competition.

Rashford's emergence has given rise to comparisons with Martial, and some have even gone so far to claim that the young Englishman has replaced his French counterpart as the "golden boy" of Manchester United. Whether one beleives that or not is up to one's own opinion, but here's a look at an interesting stat for both youngsters:

- Both scored on their Premier League debuts and against big clubs. Rashford grabbed a brace against Arsenal in his first match. Martial netted against Liverpool (in a substitute appearance) and also scored two goals when making his first full appearance against Southampton.

With both possibly featuring at the same time tonight, it will be very interesting to see if and how both these promising prospects can combine in what is certainly Manchester United's biggest game of the season. 

5. The men between the posts: How does David de Gea compare to Simon Mignolet?

So far, Mignolet has made 11 saves and four clean sheets in the Europa League whilst conceding four goals. De Gea, on the other hand will be making his first Europa League appearance after having to miss out on the round of 32 tie against Midtjylland.

Hence, we will take a look at how they have performed in the Premier League. The Spaniard has gotten plenty of praise for his excellent performances between the posts, and whilst Mignolet is not too far behind in terms of clean sheets, some of his other stats may give cause for worry if one is a Reds supporter:

 

Given that both sides are likely to miss out on a top four spot, the Europa League will represent the only realistic chance at featuring in the Champions League for the 2016/2017 campaign. Unfortunately, one of them will be seeing their European dreams ended at the conclusion of what will be an entertaining two-legged tie.

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Liverpool 2 - 0 Manchester United

March 10, 2016 3:05pmAnfield (Liverpool)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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