Manchester United will look to record their second consecutive victory when they face Leicester City in what promises to be a Sunday shootout. Star forward Radamel Falcao is poised to make his first Manchester United start against a Leicester City side that is fresh from winning their first Premier League victory in more than 10 years.
Read on for a complete analysis of this match and while you’re at it, you can check out our EPL preview of the big Chelsea vs. Manchester City match this weekend.
[sc:Soccer ]Manchester United vs. Leicester City Betting Preview
Where: King Power Stadium, Leicester
When: Sunday, September 21, 8:30 AM ET
Line: Manchester United (-210) at Leicester City (+445), tie (+300); total: 2.5 – view all EPL lines
What’s at Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]With both teams currently tied at five points, a victory from either side could help them climb to as high as fourth place in the league table. That is important, especially for Manchester United, who are desperate to land a top 4 finish this season to ensure their return to the UEFA Champions League next year.
Betting on Manchester United
After an astonishingly poor start, Manchester United responded in their fourth Premier League showing in Week 4, trouncing Queens Park Rangers 4-0 in front of a packed crowd at Old Trafford for their first win of the season.
Angel Di Maria justified his 59.7 million pound tag with a man of the match performance that brought back memories of Cristiano Ronaldo’s home debut with the Red Devils a decade ago. His opening free kick set the ball rolling as goals from Herrera, Rooney and Mata completed the emphatic win.
Nothing less is expected from a side that spent a mind-blowing 150 million pounds this summer on transfers. They will look to continue the momentum when they travel to Leicester City this weekend.
They will need to sort out their poor away form which has been terrible so far this season. In their two away games, United have collected just two points against Burnley and Sunderland, teams which are currently in the bottom six of the table.
This time around, though, United will have star striker Radamel Falcao in their midst. Falcao, who scored a total of 11 goals last season for Monaco, will further fortify an attacking unit that already includes World Cup stars Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
For a team that boasts such attacking intent, however, United have struggled to score goals on the road this season. They have scored just a single goal in their two away matches so far.
The problem for Louis van Gaal now is how to accommodate all his attacking stars into his lineup. United have replaced their 3-5-2 formation which they utilized at the beginning of the season to a 4-4-2 diamond formation which was spot on in the game against QPR.
The question now is who among van Persie, Falcao, Rooney and Mata will be left out of the starting lineup this coming Sunday. It is a headache alright, but one that van Gaal prefers to have.
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Betting on Leicester City
For Leicester City manager Neil Pearson, his side couldn’t have started their Premier League return any better. When the fixture list was first announced, many expected the Foxes to struggle right off the bat.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton, three of the top five teams in the Premier League last season, were waiting in the wings in their first three games. Surprisingly though, they have fared admirably well in those three matches and their good form was finally rewarded with a 1-0 away win against Stoke City last Saturday.
The Foxes are currently 12th in the league table with five points and their confidence will be at an all-time high ahead of their meeting with the mighty Manchester United. The last time they faced Manchester United in the Premier League was more than a decade ago when they lost to the Red Devils 1-0 at Old Trafford last April 13, 2004.
Since then, it has been a torturous ten years for the club and its supporters. They went through two ownership changes and 17 managers as they found the going tough in the League Championship. Their luck seemed to turn however, with the hiring of Pearson in 2011 and last April, they sealed their return to England’s top division with a comprehensive triumph in the League Championship.
The English Premier League is a different beast altogether, but Leicester City have the calming influence of Esteban Cambiasso on their side. He may be 34 right now and past his heyday, but the Argentine midfielder is still a world-class player who has won 23 European and domestic trophies in his entire career.
He has played for some of the biggest European clubs such as Real Madrid and Inter Milan so facing Manchester United won’t faze him one bit. His experience in these types of situations will be important with most of his teammates not used to playing in these big matches.
His name will surely be the first on the Leicester City team sheet this coming Sunday as they look to end their five-match home losing streak to Manchester United in the Premier League.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United (-210) cruise to a 3-0 victory to record their first road win of the season.
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