With Chelsea and Manchester City now out of the FA Cup following their shock exits in the fourth round, the path is clear for Manchester United to end their 11-year title drought in this prestigious event. The road to Wembley starts in Lancashire where they will face a Preston North End side determined to stage a shock upset of its own.
Who will prevail in this pivotal fifth-round FA Cup tie? Read on for a complete preview of this round-of-16 showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the FA Cup match between Arsenal and Middlesbrough here.
[sc:Soccer ]Manchester United vs. Preston North End Betting Preview
Where: Deepdale, Preston
When: Monday, February 16, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Manchester United (-275) at Preston North End (+620), tie +320; total: 2.5 – view all FA Cup lines
What’s At Stake
The winner of this match books a place in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and moves to within three wins of lifting the prestigious trophy at Wembley Stadium on May 30.
Betting on Manchester United
“Manchester United won’t beat Preston in the FA Cup on that showing.”
[sc:Soccer240banner ]That was the stinging verdict of manager Louis van Gaal after his side labored to a 3-1 win over Burnley in their Premier League encounter Wednesday. Substitute Chris Smalling spared United’s blushes as he scored an unlikely double to power United into third place in the Premier League standings.
Their 2-1 advantage at the break was largely undeserved though as Burnley totally dominated them in the first half. In fact, the Clarets uncorked more shot attempts (10-3) compared to United in the first half.
With Burnley on the offensive, van Gaal was forced to play Wayne Rooney at the base of the diamond. Van Gaal’s insistence on playing the United captain in midfield has attracted so much derision among fans and pundits alike who believe the Englishman’s talents are being wasted in the middle of the park.
Rooney’s goal-scoring form has clearly suffered as a result of the change, as he has failed to find the back of the net in almost two months now. It’s paramount for Rooney to regain the scoring touch as the Red Devils resume their FA Cup campaign against Preston.
Usually, given the quality of opposition, this is already a sure victory for the Red Devils. Not anymore, however, with this struggling Manchester United squad. In fact, in the previous round, United were held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw by lowly side Cambridge who were 76 places below the 19-time English champions in the football pyramid at the time of their meeting.
Even though, Manchester United hammered the same side 3-0 in their replay encounter a week ago, the fact that they struggled mightily against a lower division side already this season is a major cause of concern for van Gaal and company heading into their match against Preston.
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Betting on Preston North End
Bring on Manchester United!
Preston North End will head to their huge FA Cup clash with the 11-time champions with all the momentum on their side following their 2-0 win over Chesterfield in their League One clash Tuesday. That victory was the third in a row for the Lilywhites who started this winning streak with their famous win over Sheffield United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Preston secured a dream fifth-round matchup with Manchester United with a dramatic come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Sheffield United. Preston scored three second-half-goals in a span of 10 minutes to grab the shock win and set up one of the biggest games in their club history.
For Preston to grab an unlikely upset against United, they need to continue their good form on the defensive end. In their last three matches, the Lilywhites have conceded just a solitary goal. In fact, they have recorded two consecutive clean sheets in their last two outings.
Of course, stopping United will be a much tougher task. The Red Devils possess some of the greatest attacking players in the world like Angel di Maria, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. In fact, the Red Devils are fourth in the Premier League in scoring, netting 47 goals this campaign.
That doesn’t mean, however, that this United team will be impossible to beat. Their performance against Cambridge in the fourth round suggests otherwise. They failed to break down a stubborn Cambridge defense even though they controlled 75 percent of the possession. Cambridge even had a chance to steal the victory because of their advantage in set-pieces.
Preston will need to take advantage of that fact and punish United in corners and free kick situations. The onus is on Joe Garner and Paul Gallagher to lead the Preston frontline. They lead the team in scoring this season, netting 13 and 10 goals respectively.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United (-275) edge past Preston 1-0 in a tight and nervy affair.
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