Houllier said: "I know this game means a lot to the fans, matches between Liverpool and Manchester United are always great games full of passion.
"We are underdogs this time, despite our recent record against them and even if we beat them I still think they are better than us. United are a great side, who are a few years ahead of us at the moment.
"Our players are still young but we will give it our best shot. We have less days to recover but winning is the best preparation we can have. Beating Auxerre will have a massive influence on us."