Manchester United-Leeds is a Premier League Week 8 replay and is played on Wednesday at 9pm: stats, TV, line-ups, predictions
Manchester United are aiming for their 14th consecutive victory at Old Trafford from their four remaining competitions: Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League. For the Red Devils comes a recovery of some significance, which could allow Bruno Fernandes and his team-mates to join their hated City cousins in the table, who were narrowly beaten by Tottenham last Sunday.
A bittersweet result in the capital for Erik ten Hag’s side. Indeed, Spurs remain a serious threat for one of the top four places and beating Leeds will serve to keep the distance from Antonio Conte’s men, now fifth and -3 behind third-placed United. Last weekend, of the quadrumvirate currently in command of the English top-four, only the Red Devils managed to win, defeating the hostile Crystal Palace 2-1 – a team that has given Manchester United plenty of grief in recent years – thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and yet another Marcus Rashford strike. Casemiro’s sending-off 15 minutes from the end threatened to ruin everything but the team held on, even after Schlupp’s goal.
Leeds, the Marsch era is over
Ten Hag will face Leeds twice in the space of just four days before focusing his attention on the noble Europa League challenge against Xavi’s Barcelona.
Gnonto
First the rematch of the eighth day – at the time postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II – and then the match valid for the twenty-third round, but on reversed pitches. The Whites had just dismissed Jesse Marsch: the former Leipzig coach’s 1-0 defeat in the clash with Nottingham Forest was fatal, extending the Whites’ winless streak to seven games and dropping them to seventeenth place, level on points with Everton in third-last place. Pending the appointment of a successor, Leeds will take to the pitch at Old Trafford with an interim manager, who will have to try to salvage what can be saved.
The Prediction
Leeds away from home are disastrous: nobody has done worse than the Whites, who have only scored five points away from Elland Road. Manchester United, who have picked up 10 out of 12 points since returning to the top flight against the Whites, should make no missteps, scoring a round-robin success in a game in which the aggregate goals are likely to be at least three.
The Manchester United-Leeds line-up probables
- MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Shaw; Sabitzer, Fred; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Weghorst.
- LEEDS (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Wober; Adams, McKennie; Sinisterra, Aaronson, Gnonto; Rutter.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-0
