Manchester United vs. Brentford Prediction: United Determined to Return to Winning Ways
Manchester United vs. Brentford Prediction: United Determined to Return to Winning Ways
Brentford: 10 Points Above the Relegation Zone
Many expected Brentford to be involved in the relegation battle following their promotion last summer but they are sitting 14th in the EPL standings, 10 points above the danger zone. Their main objective is to secure a Premier League spot for the next season and as it looks, they have a great chance to remain in the top-flight league for another year.
The Bees won back-to-back games against Aston Villa and Port Vale in the league and FA Cup earlier this month, but they enter this clash on the back of two consecutive defeats, both on the road against Southampton and Liverpool, conceding seven goals in the process.
The two teams played a pre-season friendly this season at Old Trafford which finished in a 2-2 draw, but this is their first competitive fixture between them. The Bees scored 12 goals in 10 home games with 11 different players, and they always tend to play well against the big names. They failed to find the back of the net against Chelsea and Man City at home, but they netted three against Liverpool keeping them to a 3-3 draw.
Their attacking duo, Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo started the season on fire scoring seven goals between them, and despite failing to contribute on the scoreboard in the last month, they still possess great qualities being a real danger for the Red Devils. The hosts won three of their previous four home games, but they kept just four clean sheets in 21 EPL games. We don’t expect them to win this clash, but we believe they have the attacking options to score at least once.
The hosts will be without the services of Julian Jeanvier, David Raya, Charlie Goode, and Josh Dasilva, all injured, Frank Onyeka, on international duty with Nigeria, while Mathias Jorgensen remains a doubt.
Click here for Man United vs. Brentford odds
Man United: Vulnerable
The Red Devils dropped eight points in their previous four Premier League fixtures and will enter this clash on the back of a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. In Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence, Bruno Fernandes stepped up scoring a brace against Steven Gerrard’s boys but United failed to maintain their two-goal lead, allowing two goals in the last 15 minutes of the match.
They look weak, they look tired, vulnerable, without energy and desire. They've won just one league game since the end of November, but their main objective is a top-four finish which will earn them a Champions League spot. With Manchester United, it is never straightforward. On paper, they should win this clash and do it in a comfortable manner but don’t be surprised if they drop points so lower your stake, don’t bet big.
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to recover from a hip injury and join Marcus Rashford in the attacking line, who is also expected to be involved after missing against Villa. Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay served their one-game suspension and should be back in the starting XI. The Red Devils scored in all of their away EPL games during this campaign keeping just three clean sheets in the process. Talking about Man United’s head-to-heads against newly-promoted sides, we should mention they lost seven of their previous 22 away games against them. Still, they look stronger on the road than at Old Trafford, so we expect them to return home with the three points.
Manchester United vs. Brentford Pick
There are many ways to approach this match from a betting perspective but again, don’t go big because the Red Devils are inconsistent having huge ups and downs this term. We will sprinkle some money on an away win at -125 with DraftKings and over 2.5 goals in the match at -110 with Bet365 but our main pick remains Man United to score over 1.5 goals at -118 with Unibet.
If you love your props the obvious choice is Cristiano Ronaldo priced at +115 at Unibet to be anytime goalscorer but we also like Bruno Fernandes to offer an assist at +275, again with Unibet.
- PICK: Man United Team Total Over 1.5 @ -118 (Bet $100 to win $84.75)
Article Author
Alex Campean has been a soccer fan since 1990 when he watched the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He knows everything about the top 5 European leagues, Champions League and Europa League and he is well known for his “trade-mark” “Alex Classic” bet (both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match). He’s very disciplined, follows a strict set of rules, and has great bankroll management. He’s our European soccer specialist and he's having an average of 55 units of profit in the last 7 years with his soccer picks. He’s all about positive energy, respect, and long-term profit and if you ever hear “Alex’s last-minute goal” that means he did it again winning a bet in the last minute of the game, so never lose hope.