Manchester United will host fourth-place Southampton at Old Trafford on Matchday 8 of the English Premier League on Saturday.
United (3-1-3), currently ninth in the Premier League table, have yet to win back-to-back league matches this season.
The hosts enter Saturday’s clash having lost two of three in the league, while Southampton have won three straight, including a 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield on 21 September.
Despite their poor start to the new season, Manchester United are just six points behind table toppers Arsenal, who are scheduled to host Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend.
Team News
Rio Ferdinand is expected to feature for United after missing the club’s last two games with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley (calf strain) could be in contention after sitting out England’s final two 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland.
Reported United transfer target Luke Shaw (illness), who is reportedly valued at around £25 million, will probably be fit enough to replace Daniel Fox in the Saints’ starting XI.
Shaw, 18, is 66/1 to opening the scoring at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ on Saturday night.
Possible Starting Lineups
Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Carrick, Fellaini; Nani, Rooney, Welbeck; Van Persie
Southampton: Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Lallana, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse; Lambert, Osvaldo
Match Facts
On Saturday, United will be looking to avoid consecutive league home defeats for the first time since May 2002.
With that said, Southampton last won back-to-back Premier League away games in September 2001.
The Saints have conceded fewer goals, 2, than any other Premier League side this season, while United (and Everton) have given up more than any other club in the top-half of the league table (9).
United are 13-1-0 against Southampton at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.
Robin van Persie, who netted a hat-trick in Holland’s 8-1 win over Hungary last Friday, has failed to score from open play in 14 of his last 18 league appearances for the Red Devils. Goal drought.
All things considered, Van Persie is still backed by the bookmakers at 20/21 to score anytime against the Saints.
David Moyes has selected 24 different Premier League starters for Manchester United this season.
Moyes’ latest addition to the starting XI, Adnan Januzaj, became the second player in United’s history, following Ruud van Nistelrooy, to bag a brace on his first Premier League start for the club.
Januzaj is 10/1 to score two or more goals versus Southampton on Saturday.
Betting Odds
Manchester United (11/20); Southampton (5/1); Draw (10/3)
Match Prediction
Manchester United 2 – Southampton 0 (15/2)
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