Manchester United vs Sheffield United EPL Odds and Preview

Manchester United hosts Sheffield United at Old Trafford on June 24, 2020, in a match that will have an impact on the European race.

The Red Devils are currently in fifth place with 46 points and they occupy the final Europa League spot in the English Premier League. However, they are tied on points with the 6th place Wolves and are just two points ahead of chasing Sheffield United. Manchester United also holds a precarious four-point lead over Tottenham and Crystal Palace. It’s worth noting that if Manchester City’s ban will hold, 5th place will go to the Champions League while 6th place will head to the Europa League.

The match will be aired live via NBCSN at 1:00 pm EST.

Manchester United

The Manchester Red Devils head to matchday 31 sitting in fifth place in the English Premier League standings. The Red Devils have a record of 12 wins, 10 draws, and 8 losses for a total of 46 points. They are five points behind fourth-place Chelsea and are currently the holders of the final Europa League position.

The Red Devils restarted their season with a tough 1-1 draw against Tottenham. Steven Bergwijin netted in the 27th minute to give the Spurs the early lead. However, Bruno Fernandez converted on a penalty in the 81st minute as Manchester United salvaged a draw. United nearly had a chance to win the match in the 90th minute but a penalty was taken away after VAR.

Marcus Rashford leads Manchester United with a total of 14 goals this season. Anthony Martial has also has double-digit goals this year with a total of 11 while Mason Greenwood has netted five times as well. Daniel James leads the Red Devils with six assists while also scoring three goals while Rashford and Martial have four and three assists, respectively.

The Red Devils rank 4th in defense with a total of 31 goals conceded this term. They are 6th in goal scoring with a total of 45 goals scored this season. Manchester United has a total of 28 assists this season, putting them in a tie for 7th place in the English Premier League. They are also 4th in goal difference at +14 on the year.

Sheffield United

Sheffield United is in the thick of the Europa League race as they sit on seventh place with a record of 11 wins, 11 draws, and 8 losses for a total of 44 points. The Blades are just two points off the final Europa League position and a win over Manchester United will enable them to momentarily overtake the Red Devils in the team standings.

Sheffield’s restart has been tough so far. In their first assignment, the Blades got “robbed” in their opener against Aston Villa and had to settle for a draw. Then in their last assignment, they got beaten by Newcastle 0-3. Against Newcastle, Sheffield United went a man down in the 50th minute and Newcastle piled up three goals in the next 23 minutes to take all three points.

John Fleck and Lys Mousset each have five goals scored for the Blades this season while John Lundstram has netted four times for Manchester United. Mousset leads the team with a total of four assists while Lundstram has three. On the other hand, George Baldock has three assists while also scoring three goals.

Sheffield is the 2nd best defensive team in England with a total of 25 goals allowed this season. They are only 15th in goal scoring with a total of 30 this year. The Blades are ranked 8th in goal difference at +5 while they are just 16th overall with a total of 18 assists on the year.

Who Wins?

These teams have played each other in a total of 94 matches and it is Manchester United who holds the advantage with a record of 44-16-34 in their all-time head to head matchup. The teams played to a 3-3 draw in their reverse fixture held in late November of 2019. United is the 4th best home team in the English Premier League with a home record of 8-5-2 and a total of 29 points earned. On the other hand, Sheffield United has the 7th best away record in England with their 4-8-3 mark and 20 points earned while playing on the road this season.

Meanwhile, Sheffield’s restart hasn’t gone well thus far as they figured in a controversial draw against Aston Villa and were beaten convincingly by Newcastle in their last assignment.

United is also more well-rested as they have a couple more days off as compared to Sheffield and they should be able to capitalize on the Blades’ drop in form since the restart of the season. The Red Devils have won their last seven home meetings against Sheffield and their last four overall.

Prediction: Manchester United

Alternate Bet

It’s tempting to pick the OVER for this bet because these teams combined for six goals in their last meeting. However, Manchester United’s defense has looked better during their unbeaten run. The Red Devils have kept a clean sheet in four out of their last six league matches despite playing Manchester City and Chelsea on the road during this period.

Sheffield United ranks second only to Liverpool in the English Premier League with a total of 11 clean sheets this season. But the Blades will be without Dean Henderson who cannot play against his mother club. Likewise, the suspension of John Egan will leave the door for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to score goals.

Manchester United has kept a clean sheet in their last three home matches while Sheffield United has been unable to score since the restart and has only seven shots on goal during that period. I’m leaning towards the WIN TO NIL bet and I won’t be surprised if you took it. However, I will go with the UNDER.

Prediction: Under 2.5

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