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Joel Matip says Liverpool are ready to deal with Manchester United’s aerial assault on Monday night.

The bitter North West rivals meet at Anfield with United boss Jose Mourinho expected to pinpoint the Reds’ difficulties in defending the high ball at set-pieces this season.

But Matip has revealed the backline have been working hard at Melwood during the international break to counter such a threat.

“We have to defend against this and we have lots of practices,” said the Cameroonian centre-back. “This week we practised against crosses and high balls.

“If the ball comes in my area I have to give everything to try and clear it.

“(The defence) is a point we have to work on. The most important thing, for me, is always to win. The next most important thing is the clean sheet. 3-2 is not my favourite result.

“The team is working hard to improve defending. The manager wants clean sheets. We know there are a lot of games you have to win 1-0.

“I get very angry when we concede. If we win it’s good, but I always have the goal we conceded in my head. I think about it for days afterwards.”

Matip has impressed since his arrival from Schalke in the summer on a free transfer, most notably during his tussle with Diego Costa in the win at Chelsea.

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The defender spoke before the game of ignoring taunts from the striker and, speaking to the Sunday Times, he said: “In the game (Costa) said nothing. I hear nothing. Maybe I didn’t listen.

“I don’t care about opponents speaking. What is said won’t help me, so why should I care?

“(United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic) is an amazing player, a player who everybody knows. But Costa was an amazing player. We defend all together as a team.

“I know most of the time I’ll play directly against a striker and he will be my opponent but there’s always movement and there are many good players in each team, so you cannot always look on one player.

“You can’t think ‘he is the big famous guy’. The other players are good too so you have to defend against them all.”