Michael Carrick welcomes Ipswich to Old Trafford for his first home game in charge this season, looking to put last week's shock defeat to Hull behind him.
Man United vs IpswichSee All Odds
Manchester United host Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Michael Carrick's side needing a response after a shock 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City on the opening weekend.
United dominated the ball at the MKM Stadium, racking up 21 shots and 1.83 xG, but were undone twice from set pieces and couldn't find a way through Hull's compact structure. That inability to defend dead-ball situations is a concern heading into this one, given Ipswich boast the aerial threat of 6ft 5in centre-back Issa Diop and 6ft 1in striker Emersonn.
Ipswich, by contrast, arrive full of confidence after a dramatic 2-1 win over Sunderland, in which Emersonn scored on his Premier League debut before Jack Clarke settled it with a 90th-minute winner against his former club. Gary O'Neil's side backed that up with a 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Leicester in midweek, resting nine of that starting XI in the process.
Man United vs Ipswich Best Bet
Best Bet: Bryan Mbeumo – Anytime Goalscorer
Best odds: 8/5 (Coral)
Stake: 1pt
Mbeumo has had at least one shot on target in each of his last three appearances for Manchester United, and he looks the most likely outlet to trouble Ipswich's goal from open play.
United's issue at Hull wasn't a lack of created chances, it was converting them, and Mbeumo's directness off the right should give him regular sight of goal against a Tractor Boys defence that, for all its physical presence, is still adjusting to Premier League pace. With United needing a response in front of their own supporters, expect plenty of the ball to funnel through the areas Mbeumo occupies.
Who is favourite to win Man United vs Ipswich?
According to latest odds, Manchester United are strong favourites to bounce back at Old Trafford, priced at 4/9 in the match-winner market. The draw is available at 4/1, while Ipswich are out at 13/2 despite the confidence carried over from their opening-day win.
United have won the last four meetings between these two sides by an aggregate score of 18-2 and are unbeaten in eight straight home league games against Ipswich, though Carrick himself has a modest record against newly-promoted opposition as United boss.
Man United vs Ipswich Bet Builder Tip
Our Bet Builder Tips for Man United vs Ipswich includes:
- Harry Maguire Over 0.5 - Shots
- Julio Enciso Over 1.5 - Shots
- Bruno Fernandes Over 0.5 - Shots On Target
- Luke Shaw Over 1.5 - Fouls
Best odds of 19/2 available at bet365 while publishing.
Harry Maguire – Over 0.5 Shots
Maguire has a recent history of making an impact at set pieces against this exact opponent, having headed in the winner the last time these two sides met at Old Trafford. His shot counts across his last six Premier League games — 2, 0, 1, 0, 1 and 2 — show he's a regular enough threat from corners and free-kicks, and with United likely to camp in Ipswich's half for long spells, there should be no shortage of opportunities for him to get an effort away.
Julio Enciso – Over 1.5 Shots
Enciso has settled quickly into Ipswich's no.10 role and already has an assist to his name from the opening weekend. His shot counts across his last ten competitive matches — 3, 0, 3, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 9 and 1 — show a player capable of real volume when the game opens up, and Ipswich pushing men forward in search of a second successive win should give him license to shoot from the edge of the box.
Bruno Fernandes – Over 0.5 Shots On Target
Fernandes was at the heart of everything United tried to create at Hull, managing three shots and three chances created despite the result. His shot-on-target counts across his last five matches — 1, 1, 1, 0 and 1 — show he's rarely far from finding the target himself, and as United's most reliable source of quality in the final third, he should get another look at goal here.
Luke Shaw – Over 1.5 Fouls
Shaw's foul counts across his last ten appearances are: 0, 0, 4, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 2. That shows some inconsistency, but United's issues defending in behind mean their left side is likely to be tested repeatedly by Ipswich's front four. With Fatawu and Maeda both capable of running in behind, Shaw being dragged into recovery challenges and conceding fouls looks a reasonable expectation.
Man United vs Ipswich Match Prediction
Manchester United's home advantage and superior individual quality should be enough to get their season up and running, but Ipswich's confidence and physical presence mean this shouldn't be entirely straightforward.
United's set-piece frailties are the obvious concern after Hull exploited them so effectively, and Ipswich have the aerial threat in Diop and Emersonn to ask similar questions. At the other end, Fernandes and Mbeumo should have enough quality to break down a Tractor Boys defence still finding its feet at this level.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Ipswich Town
Man United vs Ipswich Predicted Lineups
Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
Carrick is expected to make changes after the Hull defeat, with Ayden Heaven in line to partner Maguire in central defence. Amad remains sidelined, while Ugarte is unavailable and De Ligt and Mount are only just back in full training.
Ipswich Town: Scherpen; O'Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Núñez, Lukic; Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn
Gary O'Neil is expected to make minimal changes to the side that beat Sunderland. Jack Taylor and Azor Matusiwa are both out, while Florentino Luis is a doubt after returning to training following a calf injury.
Man United vs Ipswich Player Prop Bet
Best Bet: Bruno Fernandes – Over 0.5 Assists
Best odds: 17/10 (Boyle Sports)
Stake: 1pt
Bruno Fernandes arrives at Old Trafford with a point to prove after Manchester United's disappointing 2-0 defeat at Hull City on the opening weekend, but the fixture against Ipswich offers an immediate opportunity to respond. The United captain recorded a huge 21 Premier League assists last season, a league record, while also scoring nine goals on his way to winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
His creative numbers are particularly encouraging for this market. Fernandes registered an assist in eight of his final 10 Premier League appearances of last season, while his underlying chance-creation numbers were consistently strong. His final two league appearances produced three assists, including two against Aston Villa and another against Brighton.
The Hull defeat did not completely remove that creative threat either. Fernandes still played the full 90 minutes and produced 0.26 xA, while attempting three shots and completing 88 passes.
Ipswich arrive at Old Trafford unbeaten after their opening-day victory over Sunderland, but United should have far more possession and territory than they managed at Hull. That should put Fernandes in the areas where he can have the biggest influence, particularly with his set-piece delivery and ability to create chances for the forwards.
After setting a Premier League assist record last season, Fernandes remains the obvious creative hub for United, and with the Red Devils needing a response in front of their home supporters, over 0.5 assists looks an appealing way to back the captain to make an immediate impact.
