Manchester United travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday evening, as the hosts welcome Premier League football back to Molineux in the second game of
90 Min | Aug 16, 2019
Manchester United travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday evening, as the hosts welcome Premier League football back to Molineux in the second game of the new campaign.
The Red Devils enjoyed a promising start to the new season, running out 4-0 winners over Chelsea in a ruthless display at Old Trafford. A brace from Marcus Rashford and goals from Anthony Martial and Daniel James secured the points for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men.
As for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, they played out a 0-0 draw on the opening weekend of the Premier League away at Leicester. Wanderers last played on Thursday, comfortably sweeping aside FC Pyunik 4-0 in the Europa League – and have now set up a play-off tie with Italian side Torino.
If recent contests are anything to go by, this is set to be a gripping spectacle. Here's 90min's preview of the game.
Where to Watch
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When is Kick Off? |
Monday 19 August |
|---|---|
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What Time is Kick Off? |
20:00 (BST) |
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Where is it Played? |
Molineux |
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TV Channel/Live Stream? |
Sky Sports Premier League/Sky Sports Main Event |
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Referee? |
Jon Moss |
Where to Buy Tickets
Tickets for the game are, as ever, available on both team's official club websites, though membership is required in order to purchase. In terms of resale, both teams provide the option to make season tickets available for others to use, if a supporter is unable to attend the game themselves.
Team News
Both sides have a relatively clean bill of health. Wolves have no fresh injury concerns, leaving Santo with the opportunity to field his strongest possible side.
The manager had the luxury of resting the majority of his first team for the match against FC Pyunik on Thursday, and was able to bring on players Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota for a late run out. Despite the quick turnaround for Wolves, fatigue shouldn't be an issue.
United, meanwhile, are in a similar predicament. They will, however. continue to be without long-term absentees Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
Alexis Sanchez has been working hard on his fitness, despite rumours speculating that he intends to leave the club before the close of the European transfer window. Fred could also be welcomed back into the squad, following a prolonged spell of time off following the Copa America.
Predicted Lineups
|
Wolves |
Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Castro; Jota, Jimenez |
|---|---|
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Manchester United |
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Pogba, Andreas; Rashford, Martial, Lingard |
Head to Head Record
The two sides have faced off against each other on 101 occasions, with United holding the better record. The Red Devils have claimed 48 victories, whereas Wanderers have prevailed 36 times. The two sides have also shared the spoils 17 times.
Despite this, Man Utd are without a win in their three previous encounters against Wolves. The first came last September, with the game ending in a draw. United were then knocked out of the FA Cup in March by Nuno's men, before they once again defeated the Old Trafford side only two weeks later in the league by the same scoreline – damaging their top four hopes.
Recent Form
Wolves come into the game with great confidence, having eased their way past FC Pyunik in the Europa League qualifying stages. In the Premier League, Wanderers were held to a 0-0 draw by Leicester in their first game of the 2019/20 season – and will be hoping to go one better as they return to home turf.
United will be buoyant, following a 4-0 humbling of Chelsea on Sunday. The Red Devils were ruthless and lethal on the counter attack, and they will need to be equally impressive at Molineux on Monday if they wish to continue their fine start to the new season.
Here's a look at how the two sides have performed in their last five fixtures.
|
Wolves |
Manchester United |
|---|---|
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Wolves 4-0 FC Pyunik (15/8) |
Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea (11/8) |
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Leicester 0-0 Wolves (11/8) |
Manchester United 2-2 Milan (3/8) |
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FC Pyunik 0-4 Wolves (8/8) |
Kristiansund BK 1-0 Manchester United (30/7) |
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Crusaders FC 1-4 Wolves (1/8) |
Tottenham 1-2 Manchester United (25/7) |
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Wolves 2-0 Crusaders FC (25/7) |
Manchester United 1-0 Inter (20/7) |
Prediction
Wolves come into the game in great shape, and Nuno will also be aware of the problems his side have caused United in the last 12 months.
For the Red Devils, Solskjaer will see the upcoming game as the perfect opportunity to right the wrongs from the previous season. He'll understand the task at hand, but will be confident his new-look side can get a result.
It will be a hard-fought battle, with the last two meetings having produced 2-1 victories for Wolves. History could repeat itself, but with Solskjaer's men just coming out on top.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Manchester United