Preview
Manchester United vs Middlesbrough Betting Tips
Saturday, 31/12/2016
Old Trafford
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 19/20 odds
Two more familiar faces will return to walk down the touchlines at Old Trafford on Saturday when Middlesbrough travel to Manchester this weekend. The Red Devils saw their former manager David Moyes back in their ancestral arena on Boxing Day when Moyes’s Sunderland came to play Manchester United. This time, it’d be two of their former players Fabio Da Silva and Victor Valdes returning to Old Trafford for the first time since their departures back in 2014 and last summer, respectively. Middlesbrough head into this game with only one away win in their pocket and barely hang on to the safety zone by occupying the 15th spot. Middlesbrough were bettered by fellow promoted side Burnley in their last match when Victor Valdes made a sloppy mistake to allow Andre Gray to end his 10 match goal drought.
Manchester United continued their resurgent form on Monday by easing past a visiting Sunderland side. Daley Blind, Zlatan Ibrahimovitch and Henrikh Mkhitaryan got their names on the score-sheet as United went 3-0 up against the Black Cats before Fabio Borini pulled one back through a beautiful long-range effort. The win against Sunderland was United’s fourth win in succession but still Jose Mourinho’s men find themselves four points shy of a UCL spot. The margin of error is quite small for the hosts and they are in desperate need of a win against Boro to continue their chase for a top four position.
TEAM NEWS
- Manchester United
Henrik Mkhitaryan might be reintroduced in the starting lineup as Eric Bailly also returns from injury.
Injury: Luke Shaw(knock)
Doubt: Wayne Roonie(knock)
- Middlesbrough
Antonio Barragan will be ruled out due to a one match suspension. George Friend would be the likeliest replacement for Barragan while Stewert Downing could earn a starting position at expense of Cristhian Stuani.
Injury: Viktor Fischer(knee)
Suspension: Antonio Barragan(1 match)
PREDICTION
Middlesbrough have a disciplined defense which have been proved hard to penetrate by opposing teams. Boro held back the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City through their buoyant defensive displays and will definitely attempt to close down the gaps to suffocate an intimidating United frontline. Having said that, we believe Manchester United will find a way around Middlesbrough’s resistance and win the tie.
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 19/20 odds
RECENT FORM
- Manchester United(6th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
3-1(Home, Sunderland)2-0(Away, West Brom)2-1(Away, Crystal Palace)1-0(Home, Tottenham)2-0(UEL, Away, Zorya Luhansk)
- Middlesbrough(15th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
0-1(Away, Burnley)3-0(Home, Swansea)0-3(Home, Liverpool)0-1(Away, Southampton)1-0(Home, Hull)
HEAD TO HEAD
Total Played | Boro wins | United wins | Draws |
124 | 32 | 64 | 28 |
LAST MEETING
28 October, 2015
Old Trafford
EFL Cup
Man Utd 0(1)-Middlesbrough 0(3)
INTERESTING FACTS
- Manchester United are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches against Boro (W4 D3), last losing to them 4-1 in October 2005.
- Middlesbrough have scored three goals at Old Trafford on three occasions in the Premier League (May 1997, December 1998 and February 2004). No visiting team has done this more often (Chelsea and Manchester City).
- Middlesbrough’s last visit to Old Trafford was in the League Cup last season, beating United on penalties 3-1 after a 0-0 draw.
- Wayne Rooney has scored twice and assisted three goals in his last four Premier League games against Middlesbrough, but the most recent of these came in May 2009.
- Manchester United kept a clean sheet in their final league game of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
- Middlesbrough haven’t lost their final league game of a calendar year since 2009 (W4 D2 since).
- The Red Devils have won their last four Premier League games, last achieving a run of five in April 2015 when they won six in a row.
- Middlesbrough have now won only one of their last 22 away Premier League games (D6 L15), failing to score in 12 of those games.
- After six Premier League games without having a hand in a single goal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been involved in 10 goals in his last seven games (eight goals, two assists).
- Only one of Middlesbrough’s last 19 Premier League goals against Man United has been scored by an Englishman – Stewart Downing scoring in October 2004.