Frederik
Preview: Manchester United vs. Brentford – Team news and prediction
United has had the worst start to the season in 34 years, and now Brentford awaits at Old Trafford.
Manchester United needs to find form if they want to compete for European spots this year, as looking at their season start, they have at times been downright poor. Most recently, they lost 3-2 at Old Trafford to Turkish side Galatasaray, a match they should win at home given their stature. They have 0 points in the Champions League and 9 points after 7 games in the Premier League, making it their worst start in 34 years.
Now they are facing Brentford, who haven't had a good start to the season either. They have only won 1 out of the 7 games, with 4 draws and 2 losses, giving them 7 points. On paper, United should win such a home game, but Brentford tends to perform well when facing "top 6" teams, as we have seen in previous seasons.
Last five matches between United and Brentford:
1-0: Man United vs. Brentford
4-0: Brentford vs. Man United
3-0: Man United vs. Brentford
1-3: Brentford vs. Man United
2-2: Man United vs. Brentford
Team news:
Amad Diallo, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, and Lisandro Martinez are all injured, leading to significant issues in the defense. Sergio Reguilon is still uncertain, making it likely that newcomer Amrabat will continue to play in an unfamiliar position as left-back. Antony is back in the United squad and seems poised to secure a starting spot this weekend, forming the offensive lineup with Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Höjlund. Höjlund was the standout performer despite the loss to Galatasaray, scoring two fantastic goals and giving United fans a glimpse of what to expect.
Brentford is also missing several players for the match. Kevin Schade, Shandon Baptiste, Ben Mee, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Josh Dasilva are all out with injuries. Neal Maupay is back in the Brentford lineup, and it seems he will get the chance to start instead of Lewis-Potter up front.
Man United expected lineup:
Onana; Dalot, Varane, Evans, Amrabat; Casemiro, Mount; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Brentford expected lineup:
Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Hickey; Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Maupay, Wissa
Prediction:
United needs to turn around their poor form, and with Rasmus Hojlund in good form, it should be a highly motivated team taking the field. Brentford tends to score in their matches, but they also concede goals. Therefore, we predict Manchester United to win, and both teams to score at odds of 3.25.
Get a free bonus offer at Betfair: Betfair