Man Utd v Leicester – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Manchester United face Leicester The Red Devils have enjoyed two morale-boosting cup wins under interim manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the last 11 days. The Foxes were thrashed 5-2 at Old Trafford in one of those victories.

Man Utd Form

United fired coach Erik Ten Hag after a run of one win in eight matches, including disastrous performances such as 3-0 home losses to both Liverpool and Tottenham, with the latter match seeing them concede 4.59 xG. The decision to sack Ten Hag came after a 2-1 loss at West Ham.

Since Van Nistelrooy’s appointment as interim manager, United have had two cup wins and a league draw. They defeated a second-string Leicester side 5-2 in the Carabao Cup before drawing 1-1 at home to Chelsea last weekend. On Thursday, they beat PAOK 2-0 in the Europa League, taking 16 shots in that victory.

Man Utd Team News

Man Utd are without four players: Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, and Luke Shaw due to injuries. However, Antony and Mason Mount are back from minor knocks, and Marcus Rashford is expected to be recalled.

Van Nistelrooy may continue with Lisandro Martinez at left-back, while in central defense, either Victor Lindelof or Jonny Evans will likely start. Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro are expected to be preferred in midfield over Christian Eriksen.

Man Utd Motivation

United have shown renewed energy since Ten Hag’s departure and will view this as a must-win match. Expect an aggressive and attacking approach, with the team likely to keep pushing for goals even if they take the lead.

Leicester Form

Leicester have won just three of their 13 matches across all competitions this season. They began the season with a six-match winless streak in the league, with three losses and three draws, where both teams scored in each match.

They broke their winless run with a 1-0 home win over Bournemouth and a 3-2 comeback win at Southampton from 2-0 down. However, a 3-1 home loss to Nottingham Forest followed, where they allowed 20 shots, and a 5-2 loss at Man Utd, where most of their first-choice players were rested. Last weekend, Leicester registered 20 shots and scored in the 94th minute to secure a 1-1 draw at Ipswich.

Leicester Team News

Jakub Stolarczyk is out for the rest of the month, but Patson Daka and Hamza Choudhury are back in training and could feature from the bench.

James Justin and Caleb Okoli may remain on the bench, along with big-money signing Oliver Skipp. Jordan Ayew is pushing for a starting spot on one of the flanks after scoring the late equalizer against Ipswich.

Leicester Motivation

A draw at Old Trafford would be seen as a big success for Leicester. Steve Cooper’s side is unlikely to play an open game, and a narrow defeat might be acceptable to them, as they’ll aim to avoid another heavy loss like the one they suffered against United 11 days ago.

Key Stats

Man Utd have won just 3 of their last 10 matches.

Both teams have scored in 5 of Man Utd’s last 6 matches.

Man Utd have won their last 3 matches vs Leicester, with a 9-2 aggregate score.

Both teams have scored in 10 of Leicester’s last 11 matches.

Leicester have conceded 12 goals in their last 4 away matches.

Verdict

The hosts need a win and have a strong recent record against Leicester. While the Foxes may manage to score, their defensive struggles could see them concede three or four goals on current form.