Manchester United will be visiting St.Mary’s Stadium for an important match with Southampton. The Red Devils won the Champions League fixture against Young Boys to qualify for the second round of the competition. However, the lack of quality on the ground was certainly evident in United’s game as they struggled to score a goal up until the very end.
They already lost against Manchester City and then could not secure points against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. A string of such disappointing performances is the reason United are currently languishing in the 7th place in the league.
While the Saints are not in any better situation either. Most recently they lost against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup and hence they are now out of the competition now. While in the Premier League, they have slipped into the relegation zone after losing 3-2 against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Therefore, the Saints’ manager Mark Hughes is under a lot of pressure right now. His side hasn’t won a match in the Premier League since their victory over Crystal Palace in September. To add to his woes, the Welsh manager will now have to face United, Arsenal, and Tottenham in his next four matches.
Lineups
As for the lineup, Mourinho could feature Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku for this match. They both were benched in the previous game against Young Boys but were brought on in the second half. Luke Shaw could make a comeback in the team after serving his one-match suspension. While United’s defender Victor Lindelof would be out of the team because of his muscular injury.
Southampton fans will be hoping for the return of their star player Danny Ings who missed the previous 2 matches for the Saints. While Ryan Bertrand could be featured who has served his one-game ban now.
Head to Head
If we talk about the head-to-head records of the two sides, Manchester United is clearly looking the favorite of the two. The Red Devils have won 64 matches out of 123 encounters. While the Saints have been victorious in only 28 matches so far.
Looking at the past records, Manchester United are looking the favorites for this match. But since both teams are not in a good form, we can expect a tight affair between the two sides.