Virgil van Dijk has claimed Manchester United are in a 'different mental state' from the side Liverpool beat 5-0 in October - and does not expect such an 'easy and simple' game when the sides clash on Tuesday.
Jurgen Klopp's side thrashed the Red Devils after five goals in 50 minutes at Old Trafford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked as United manager the next month.
But van Dijk told Sky Sports the changes United have made under interim boss Ralf Rangnick means it will not be so straightforward when they meet again at Anfield.
He said: 'The games that we played over there were always going to be tough, but to come away with 5-0 quite easy and simple was not what we all expected before the game but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it as much as we should.
'But that game is out of the way. They made changes after that game so they're in a different mental state at the moment.
'They're trying to get top four, build towards next season a little bit and we're trying to focus on ourselves and doing everything possible to do it.'
Liverpool are locked in a Premier League title battle with Manchester City, one point behind Pep Guardiola's side, with both having seven games remaining.
The clash with United will, on paper, be one of the hardest league games left for Klopp's men as they chase an unprecedented Quadruple.
Having won the League Cup, Liverpool will face Chelsea in the FA Cup final, challenge City for the Premier League, and play Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final, with the winner of City and Real Madrid's tie in the final if they win.