Man Utd have learnt to win ugly and put in ‘champions’ display at Burnley ahead of Liverpool, claims Dimitar Berbatov
MANCHESTER UNITED have learnt to win “ugly” under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and put in a “champions” performance at Burnley, believes Dimitar Berbatov.
The Old Trafford legend watched on from home earlier this week as United ground out a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Turf Moor.
The Red Devils travel to bitter rivals Liverpool today, with a three point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
And Berbatov reckons Solskjaer now has a good blend of attacking flair and defensive grit as his side look for a shock win at Anfield.
The Betfair Ambassador said: “You need to win ugly to win titles.
“I would take that every time of the week, that win, against small opposition, when it’s a tough pitch and surrounding, with all due respect to Burnley.
“They produce what they can and in the end it was a piece of magic by Pogba when you need it, and 1-0, three points.
“They are top of the table, and it was a champions result. You take the three points, and this is what can make you champions.”
There were calls for Solskjaer to be sacked earlier in the season after a difficult run and being dumped out the Champions League.
United have put together an unbeaten eleven match run in the Premier League, but Berbatov thinks calls for the axe will always haunt the Old Trafford boss.
He added: “I think he’ll be laughing in his office right now.
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“They have world class players in the team and they are going in the right direction.
“Ole would not have liked being in the news about being sacked. It’s never a good thing and probably not going to be far away when it’s talked about again.
“But at the moment, for sure, let’s enjoy United in first place. Nobody expected that. It’s a great moment for them going into the game with Liverpool.
“Imagine if they win it? Six points. I mean wow, that’d be a great lead.
“It’s going to be a completely different game to Burnley.”
Berbatov is anticipating a tight and tactical derby today, but reckons United will come out on top if they can withstand Jurgen Klopp’s early assault.
He said: “Liverpool are going to want to even the points and be pumped for the game and United will be wanting to make it six points.
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“I think United would take a draw. Liverpool will start the game really strong, pushing from the front and pressing like they always do.
“They’ll try and force a mistake and take advantage. As long as United can keep that under control while the game is going, they have a good chance of getting the points.
“The respect is there between the two teams. Liverpool are obviously champions, but they’ll have respect for United, because they deserve to be where they are.
“Whoever makes the least mistakes is going to win the game. This game is decided by mistakes most of the time.
“There’s a lot at stake and that’s why football at times can be boring, tactical, a 1-0 win.
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“I would like to see a lot of goals, but it’s going to be a tactical battle where you try to exploit the mistakes and space the other team is leaving for you.
“I think Liverpool will start strong and try and take advantage of that. United will drop back and try to counter-attack with the pace they have.
“I would like United to win. I would love it. I think it’s going to be a tight game, but I would like to be proven wrong.”
For more from Betfair Ambassador, Dimitar Berbatov head to www.betfair.com/berbatov