Ginormous! It is an informal way of saying something that is extraordinarily large. It is a combination of words such as giant or gigantic and enormous. The term is fitting as fans of Liverpool FC contemplate the slate of soccer matches on tap in April. The red half of Merseyside could potentially play nine matches in 28 days in three different competitions. In this article, we preview the top 5 games to look forward to in a blockbuster month of soccer.
Number 5-Sunday April 24: Liverpool versus Everton-the battle of red versus blue will be the 240th edition of the Merseyside Derby. Liverpool has dominated this fixture by winning 96, drawing 76, and Everton prevailing 67 times. Liverpool will be looking to win the double over their neighbors after a 4-1 victory on enemy turf in December. Everton is living are in the middle of a relegation battle because they are tied with Watford in 17th place but with two games in hand. Liverpool will be looking for victory at home playing before the Anfield crowd as they avenge Everton’s victory last season which ended a 22-year drought. Therefore, with Liverpool looking to capture the title and Everton hoping to avoid relegation a loss for either will be a disastrous result.
Number 4-Tuesday April 19: Liverpool versus Manchester United-this is the prized fixture circled on the soccer calendar for the past 100 years. These two teams from North West, England will meet for the 208th time. Historically, these teams dislike each other because they are considered the two most successful clubs on the other side of the pond. Interestingly, Manchester United has the upper hand in this fixture by winning 81, drawing 58, and Liverpool capturing 69 victories. However, Liverpool is the team winning titles in the past five years, and a victory at home will be a must to keep up the pace in the Premier League race for the championship. Manchester United will want to play spoilers after losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool in October. It will be a tantalizing contest to watch.
Number 3-Saturday April 16: Manchester City versus Liverpool (FA Cup Semi)-these two and their fans would have wanted to face each other in the finals rather than the semifinals. The two teams have forged a natural rivalry because of the success they enjoyed in the past five years. A knockout semifinal at Wembley will make the contest tight and nerve-wracking because when these teams play it leads to breathtaking football. Liverpool holds the edge head to head historically winning 78 of the 169 contests, 45 draws, and 45 wins by City. It will be a must-see match because both teams will be playing their top players as they seek to potentially win a treble or quadruple titles for this season which is a ridiculous proposition in modern European football.
Number 2- April 5: Benfica versus Liverpool (Champions League quarterfinal)-Liverpool would have been happy with their quarterfinal draw by facing Benfica. However, the historical records show that Benfica has won 4 of the ten matches against the Reds. Benfica will be playing at home in the first leg ], and they have been battle-tested in escaping a group with Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the group stage. Liverpool have struggled at times playing away in Europe, and it will be fascinating if they grab a lead to take back to Anfield. As the six-time European Champion, Liverpool will want to grab title 7 if it is on the cards this season
Number 1- April 10: Manchester City versus Liverpool (Premier League)-this game will be a classic in the making. Liverpool are only a point behind Manchester City, and they will be seeking to put in their best performance of the season against the reigning Premier League. The teams are fairly even because only 1 point separates them in the past four years. Therefore, expect real excitement in the stands, between the managers and the referee having a difficult time controlling the players’ emotions. Yes, this promises to be the highest-rated match in recent memory.