Manchester United have done their first half of the business in the Europa League quarterfinals against Granada and now the focus is back on Premier League. And there will be a tough opponent waiting, as Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur will be welcoming the Red Devils. Here is everything you need to know ahead of this interesting clash in which the Portuguese manager will once again face off against his former club.
Team News
Jose Mourinho will not have too many problems in picking his team for this one. Matt Doherty and Ben Davies will be out through injury and only those defensive positions will have to be carefully picked. Son Heung-Min is expected to start after featuring as a substitute against Newcastle, while Serge Aurier and Toby Alderweireld are both in contention after missing that game at the St James’ Park.
Man United are in a somewhat different position. Anthony Martial will miss the game due to knee injury and some are even suggesting his season could be over. Phil Jones is a long-term absentee, while Eric Bailly is also out. The Ivory Coast international was COVID-19 positive. Marcus Rashford might be in the team as he is having ankle issues and he already played the last two games in such state.
Form Guide
Tottenham Hotspur were in the upturn of form until four weeks ago, when things started going sour, making the life of Jose Mourinho much harder. Spurs were on a run of five consecutive wins in all competitions, but then, in the next four matches, they managed to sneak in just one win at Aston Villa.
But they lost 2-1 in the North London Derby against a truly weak Arsenal side. And things got much worse, as Spurs lost 3-0 in Zagreb against Dinamo, missing out on Europa League quarterfinals after a 2-0 win in the first leg. It was a shock, after which a 2-2 draw against Newcastle was painful, but less surprising. Tottenham got themselves in a bad moment, trailing by three points from the fourth place, in which sits West Ham, but with Chelsea also in-between in fifth. Also, Liverpool have as many points as Spurs, meaning the fight for the last Champions League spot will be truly incredible until the very end.
Man United, on the other hand, are picking themselves up after that 3-1 loss in the FA Cup quarterfinal against Leicester. A 2-1 win over Brighton was not an easy one, but rather a necessary one, while the recent 2-0 win against Granada in Europa League means the Devils are in a good moment after the international break. Now they will be hoping for a revenge, after the humiliating 6-1 defeat to Spurs at Old Trafford last year.
Predicted Outcome
It is tough to predict this match, but goals should be expected on both sides. Harry Kane and Son are a truly potent partnership, while United could profit from eventually having more space for counter-attacks when playing away from home. This could be a match with more than 2.5 goals, but we will be bold and say Man United will win 2-1.
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