Manchester United should be expected to win against Crystal Palace by a scoreline of 1-2.
Manchester United couldn’t have wished for a better confidence boost ahead of this tricky trip to Selhurst Park. The Red Devils were handed a Carabao Cup tie at home to League One side Barnsley and they took full advantage by running riot in a 7-0 thrashing.
Palace had a much tougher assignment, but still managed to make it to the fourth round with a 2-1 win at QPR. Despite two victories over Championship opposition in that competition, the 16th-placed Eagles are still waiting to record their first league win of the new campaign.
Despite winning two trophies in two years, the pressure on Erik ten Hag remains high after a poor start to the season, making last weekend’s convincing 3-0 victory at Southampton a welcome relief for him. The morale-boosting thrashing of Barnsley will have him and his team heading to London with renewed confidence.
The probable lineup for Crystal Palace in the “3-4-2-1”
Henderson; Richards, Guehi, Lacroix; Mitchell, Wharton, Hughes, Munoz; Eze, Nketiah; Mateta.
The probable lineup for Manchester United in the “4-2-3-1”
Onana; Dalot, Martinez, De Ligt, Mazraoui; Eriksen, Mainoo; Rashford, Fernandes, Diallo; Zirkzee.
Manchester United come into this match with renewed confidence after their convincing 3-0 win against Southampton and a 7-0 rout of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. The Red Devils showed significant improvement since the international break, especially in attack, with Marcus Rashford ending his goal drought. This resurgence in form, combined with the quality of players like Bruno Fernandes and the emerging talent Alejandro Garnacho, gives United a strong offensive edge against Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, are yet to secure a league win this season, having drawn two and lost two of their opening four matches. Their defensive vulnerabilities have been exposed, conceding the first goal in all four of their league fixtures so far.
This tendency to fall behind early could prove costly against a United side that has shown the ability to capitalise on opponents’ weaknesses. Additionally, United’s historical dominance in this fixture, with 41 wins to Palace’s 12, suggests they have a psychological advantage going into the game.
Recent matches involving both teams have been high-scoring. Five of Manchester United’s last seven fixtures across all competitions have seen over 2.5 goals, indicating their matches tend to be open and attacking. That includes all of the last four since that opening day 1-0 defeat of Fulham.
Crystal Palace, despite their struggles, have shown they can find the net, scoring in three of their four league games this season. The combination of United’s improving attack and Palace’s ability to score suggests we could see goals from both sides.
Historically, this fixture has produced goals. The last meeting at Selhurst Park ended in a 4-0 victory for Palace, demonstrating the potential for a high-scoring encounter. United’s defensive vulnerabilities, which have been evident in their early season performances, coupled with Palace’s need to push for their first win of the season, could lead to an open, attacking game.
Both teams have talented forwards capable of exploiting defensive weaknesses, further increasing the likelihood of multiple goals.
Manchester United have shown a tendency to start games strongly, particularly when they need to bounce back from poor performances. After their impressive win against Southampton, they were 3-0 up at half-time versus Barnsley and will be eager to maintain that momentum and assert dominance early in the match.
Crystal Palace, conversely, have struggled in the first halves of their matches this season. They have conceded the first goal in all four league games and trailed at half time in three, indicating a vulnerability to early pressure. The Eagles are yet to score a first-half league goal this term.
This trend plays into United’s hands, as they have the attacking talent to capitalise on Palace’s slow starts.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United Bet 3: Manchester United to win the first half @ 2.87 with Parimatch