It has been a rough season for Manchester United but they can still salvage some measure of success this Saturday, when they face Crystal Palace for an FA Cup finals rematch that’s over 20 years in the making. Will Louis van Gaal guide the Reds to his first title as the club’s manager? Or will the Eagles bury Manchester United with a victory?
Them being Manchester United, the pressure definitely is real on the Red Devils heading into the Wembley Stadium showdown with Crystal Palace.
Pressure, however, is nothing new for this storied football club, which ended its Premier League campaign with a dominant 3-1 win over Bournemouth last Tuesday. Their 19 points in the domestic league were good for fifth place in the Premier League so the only one left to console their frustrated fanbase is a victory over Crystal Palace this Saturday. The Red Devils are favored to do just that with odds of -144.
The hunger for a title the Reds incurred over their disappointing Premier League run should carry over into the FA Cup championship game. Team captain Wayne Rooney has seen his role increase of late. He’s expected to deliver along with Anthony Martial, who scored in injury time in a 2-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup semis.
Manchester most recently beat Crystal Palace on April 20, notching a 2-0 win in Premier League. The Red Devils had total control of that game, getting possession of the ball 66% of the time and outshooting the Eagles, 16-5. Their defense was also exemplary with Crystal Palace failing to register a single shot on target.
Betting on Crystal Palace
It’s been 26 years since Crystal Palace lost in the 1990 FA Cup Finals to Manchester United. After a long wait, here comes the chance for the Eagles to serve Manchester United a full plate of revenge pie.
That should be easier said than done of course, considering the way the Eagles were demolished in the aforementioned previous meeting with the Reds. Don’t tell that to Alan Pardew, however, as the Crystal Palace manager believes that the mounting pressure on Manchester United combined with some solid counter-punching from his men will hand them an upset victory at Wembley.
Pardew is a realist and he knows that the Reds are likely to dominate ball possession this Saturday, but he also believes that his squad is ready to exploit holes on their opponent’s defense.
Crystal Palace booked a spot in the FA Cup finals thanks to a 2-1 victory against Watford on April 16. The Eagles recent overall form isn’t rosy, though, having lost two of their last three games. That includes a 4-1 roasting at the hands of Southampton to end their Premier League campaign.
Crystal Palace finished 15th in their domestic league, just five points clear of relegation.
Striker Dwight Gayle leads Crystal Palace with seven total goals, while Yannick Bolasie, Yohan Cabaye, and Connor Wickham has six apiece.
