Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
The Premier League is back, and we have a belter of a game on Friday night when Spurs vs Manchester United is the offering.
Both teams are in the shake-up for a Champions League place, though the Red Devils have the upper hand coming into this clash.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team currently occupies fifth place, three points behind Chelsea, while Spurs are four points further back in eighth.
Former United boss Jose Mourinho knows his Spurs side can narrow that gap to a single point and he’s a man for the big occasion, but he’ll have to mastermind a win for his team in an empty Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that will be a new experience for everyone.
Talking Points
Comeback kids can re-ignite Spurs’ campaign
Of course, Mourinho faces his old club again and that will undoubtedly add some bite, but the pre-match Premier League 2020 news has moved away from the dugout for this one as some big players on both sides look set to return.
Spurs surrendered meekly to RB Leipzig in their last outing before lockdown, beaten 3-0 as they stumbled out of the Champions League. However, that was a team without captain and top scorer Harry Kane and his partner Heung-Min Son.
They have 20 goals between them, 11 for Kane and nine for Son, while the South Korean star has also made seven assists.
Both are recovered and fit to play and Kane, who was out since New Years’ Day with a hamstring injury, is raring to go.
Left-back Ben Davies and midfield man Moussa Sissoko have both recovered from injury, but Spurs will be without Dele Alli.
The England star has copped a suspension over an ill-considered social media post he made about coronavirus back in February, but his form has been patchy this season and he may not be missed if the returning stars all perform.
Spurs have some ground to make up but they have a relatively gentle run in, with only Arsenal and Leicester City of their biggest rivals to play after this opener.
Working class hero Rashford can become a legend
The Red Devils will be boosted by the return to fitness of leading goal scorer Marcus Rashford, who has recovered from the back injury which the club feared would keep him out for the remainder of the season.
And the 22-year-old striker has already had an impressive victory, using the power of social media to help convince the UK government to provide free school meals throughout the summer.
He’s a grounded young man and could be the player to drive Manchester United back to former glories. Before suffering his injury, Rashford was having the best season of his career so far with 14 goals, and he will surely benefit from the arrival of playmaker Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford.
Manchester United are pushing for a top-four place and it’s going to be a dramatic race, with three points to make up on Chelsea and the close attention of Wolves and the North London giants, not to mention surprise package Sheffield United.
And there might even be a Champions League place for the team which finishes in fifth place, depending on the outcome of Manchester City’s court case with UEFA.
It can be noted that back in February, the Sky Blues were handed a two-year ban from European competition for breaches of Financial Fair Play.
City’s appeal will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport early in July, and SBOBET fans from all the teams in the top half of the table will be watching that case with interest, as the race for Champions League football looks set to intensify.
Form counts for little in season restart
Take a look at the last six results for each side which usually a reliable guide and you’ll see a contrasting picture here.
Spurs have drawn one and lost five, while Manchester United too have drawn one, but the Red Devils have won the other six.
But with three months having elapsed since the last Premier League games and key players coming back from injury, recent form is not so recent and we have a ‘start of the season’ feel about the comeback.
So we’ll have to look elsewhere to make our Premier League 2020 betting tips.
History
Solskjaer’s team has a big edge in terms of head-to-heads. Manchester United have won 40 of the 59 meetings in the Premier League era, with the Whites mustering just nine victories and there have been ten draws.
The Red Devils won the return fixture at Old Trafford, 2-1, with a brace from Rashford and a reply from Dele Alli. It was Mourinho’s first defeat as Spurs boss and he won’t have forgotten that in a hurry!
Betting Tip
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United | Over 2.50 @ 1.95 | |
June 20, 03:15 (GMT+8) |
Spurs are at 2.83 to win this game, with the Red Devils at 2.35 and the draw available at 3.11; so with all three results well in play we’re sure to see an entertaining game.
1-1 at 5.60 is the most likely result but I suspect there will be a winner, with Manchester United desperate to rediscover their pre-break form, and Spurs wanting to make their point as the race for Europe kicks off.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH: | |||
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= €20 (Highly confident) | = €10 (CONFIDENT) | = €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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