Southampton vs Manchester United
It has not been a promising start to the new Premier League season for Manchester United. The Red Devils have won just one of their first three matches. They also haven’t played particularly inspiring football.
With those unimpressive early Premier League 2019 results, the pressure is mounting on United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to turn the club’s fortunes around as soon as possible.
They will look to do just that when they take on Southampton, who picked up their first points of the season with a 2-0 win over Brighton.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side is finally starting to pick up some momentum after a somewhat slow start to the season and will be eyeing a major scalp of the slumping Red Devils on their visit to St. Mary’s.
Talking Points
Saints picking up steam
Southampton had a rough start to the season, losing their first two matches at Burnley (3-0) and against Liverpool (1-2). However, they have since bounced back with back-to-back wins in the last three days.
First, they scored a big 2-0 away win against Brighton. New arrival Moussa Djenepo scored his first goal for the club and Nathan Redmond added a second in second-half stoppage time. Then, a much-changed Saints team beat Fulham 1-0 away in the Carabao Cup through a Michael Obafemi goal.
However, Redmond and Obafemi both picked up knocks in that match and are currently considered doubts to feature against United. Danny Ings and Sofiane Boufal will likely step into the starting XI if those two miss out.
Despite losing to Liverpool, Southampton played reasonably well in that match as they gave the title contenders a handful at home. With the Saints’ confidence gradually rising thanks to their recent wins, they should be ready to take the game to a United side that’s low in morale at the moment.
United’s problems piling up
There was a sense that despite their 4-0 win over Chelsea during the opening weekend, Manchester United didn’t play as well as the scoreline suggested.
The past two matches have helped solidify that claim as United have struggled to play like a top-six side. They created precious little in a 1-1 draw against Wolves and were defeated at home by Crystal Palace last time out.
Granted, they were a little unlucky that they missed penalties in both matches — one from Paul Pogba and another from Marcus Rashford. Meanwhile, David De Gea’s costly error in Patrick van Aanholt’s shot in stoppage time also cost them a point against Palace.
But still, they have looked far from convincing overall despite the preseason promise, and the pressure on Solskjaer is starting to mount.
The United boss also has a couple of significant injury concerns for the match against Southampton with Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw both doubtful to play. With Alexis Sanchez on his way to Inter Milan on loan, 17-year-old Mason Greenwood may be called upon to start up front if Martial can’t go.
Rashford and Daniel James have been two of the rare bright spots for United in the early going. Both have scored two goals already this season, tied with Martial for the team lead. And if Greenwood does start, there will be more pressure on the two wingers to provide adequate support for the young forward.
History
Manchester United and Southampton have a long and storied history. The two clubs have faced off a total of 125 times over the years. Unsurprisingly, United hold the decided edge in terms of wins, 65-28, while there have been 32 draws.
Recent history has also been on United’s side. They’ve gone undefeated in each of their last seven meetings (four wins, three draws) and are unbeaten in their last 11 trips to St. Mary’s. Southampton’s last win over United at home in the Premier League came back in 2003.
Betting Tip
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Southampton vs Manchester United | Southampton Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.13 |
| August 31, 19:30 (GMT+8) |
The Southampton vs Manchester United betting odds still have United favoured at 2.07 to win on the 1X2 market, while the hosts are priced at 3.50.
But for this match, SBOBET Asian Handicap sports betting is the way to go. While the Saints have been unable to beat United for quite some time, they have a great opportunity to finally do so this weekend.
United just haven’t looked all that impressive to start the season, and Martial’s potential absence would make them even more vulnerable. At the very least, Southampton should be able to grab a point at home against this subpar United side.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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