Verdict: Manchester United
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
Manchester United lock horns with Southampton in the EFL Cup final, which is their 10th appearance in the showpiece and the fresh attempt at claiming their fifth win. On the other side, Southampton are in their first final since 1979 in the competition.
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho’s men are having a busy schedule over the last couple of weeks as they prepare for their fifth match in two weeks’ time. Having successfully dispatched Saint Etienne in the Europa League during the week, the Red Devils turn their focus towards the EFL Cup final as they target an in-season trophy that could kick-start their season and be of great morale significance for the team. Mourinho’s men are enjoying a fantastic run which saw them record five consecutive wins in all competitions. During that time, Manchester United have conceded only one goal and will surely look to continue their impressive rout as they take on Southampton at Wembley. United have already gone over Northampton, Manchester City, West Ham and Hull City to reach the final and there is no doubt they will put in an extra attempt to go over the final hurdle and lift the trophy, which would be another new piece of silverware for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to add to his collection.
Team News
Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger could be involved in the Sunday’s match, whereas the biggest problem for the Sunday’s game is the availability of in-form Henrick Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick.
Wayne Rooney will be given a late fitness test and the club captain could be set for a return to the fold.
Southampton
Claude Puel has been struggling with inconsistency ever since he arrived to Southampton and the Saints boss will be looking to gild his first season in the club with an unexpected trophy, that could help him cement his position after the initial criticism he was subjected to. The Saints are in their first final since 1979, when they surrendered the trophy to high-flying Nottingham Forest at the time and the excitement within and around the club will be expectedly high. Southampton have had a rather successful run in the competition as they beat Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Arsenal and Liverpool – all without conceding a goal- to reach the final. They will have to overcome their current form though, which saw them lose three consecutive games, before returning to winning ways with a compelling 4-0 win over Sunderland last time out.
Team News
Alex McCarthy, Jake Hesketh and Jeremy Pied are long way off from making it into the first-team, whereas Matt Targett is still suffering from a hamstring strain.
Virgil van Dijk and Charlie Austin are the most prominent absentees, together with Sofiane Bofane who continues his rehabilitation process.
Key Factors to Consider
- Manchester United lost only one of their last 25 matches
- Red Devils are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions
- Mourinho’s men conceded just once in their last 8 games
- Southampton are playing their first EFL Cup final since 1979
- Saints kept the clean sheet in four matches thus far in the competition
Conclusion
Manchester United seem unstoppable at the moment as Jose Mourinho has finally got his team playing the right way. With his first-team stars in rich vein of form, Mourinho is keen to add another notch on his belt in the competition he claimed three times with Chelsea.
Verdict: Manchester United
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
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