Earning their first victory of the campaign last weekend, Southampton finally look to have gotten their sea legs under them. Defeating both Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham in the last week, they have quickly strung some solid results together. These results couldn’t come at a better time for Saints. After all, this Saturday, it will be Southampton v Manchester United, Saints v Red Devils, underdogs v giants.
Prior to the last couple of weeks, Manchester United would have entered this match as a heavy favorite. However, as evidenced over their last two matches, the name of the game for this United side has been extreme inconsistency. Will this inconsistency be maintained when Manchester United travels to St. Mary’s Stadium this Saturday? Only one way to find out. Let’s take a look at our Southampton v Manchester United Preview.
Southampton Host Inconsistent Manchester United
Manchester United: Consistently Inconsistent
Opening their 2019/20 English Premier League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea, Manchester United had the look of a true title contender. Controlling from the opening whistle, the Red Devils were dominant in their victory. With title aspirations and puff news pieces being written daily, there was nothing that could stop this United side.
Except for themselves. Following their season-opening win against Chelsea, Manchester United simply collapsed. Settling for a 1-1 draw at the Molineux Stadium against the Wolverhampton Wanderers, United’s campaign quickly started to unravel. Sinking even lower this past week, the Red Devils suffered a humiliating home defeat to Crystal Palace. A Crystal Palace side that had not scored a goal in the league this season prior to Saturday.
Sitting on that result all week, Manchester United now travel all the way down to the South Coast of England. Facing off against a Southampton side that has gathered momentum in recent days, the Red Devils will need to find their form and find it quickly. Without a top class performance, Manchester United could easily find themselves slumping to another defeat this weekend.
Southampton Build Momentum Heading into United Clash
Defeating their South Coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday, Southampton finally got themselves out of the blocks in the Premier League. Having suffered defeats in their opening two matches of the season, the Saints took full advantage of a first-half red card to defeat the ten-man Seagulls.
Following this up just three days later, Southampton earned their second consecutive road victory. Traveling to Craven Cottage for their Carabao Cup second round match, the Saints defeated English Championship side Fulham 1-0. Overall, the performance was even better for Southampton as they controlled the match throughout the entire second half.
Despite the loss of both Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo due to injury, Southampton are a club with momentum on their side. Now hosting an extremely inconsistent Manchester United, Southampton has a decent chance at making it three wins in three matches.
Key Players
Harry Maguire Must Take Leadership Role for United
Coming up against a high pressing Southampton side, Manchester United must maintain solidarity at the back. Possessing Sofiane Boufal, Che Adams, Danny Ings, and James Ward-Prowse, the Saints attack can challenge almost any backline. If United are to win this match, they will need someone to step up and lead from the back. That player should be new signing Harry Maguire.
A leader for Leicester City during his time with the club, Harry Maguire now needs to step up and do the same at Manchester United. Having problems when it comes to maintaining leads and seeing out draws, United cannot allow the Saints to earn many chances in this match. Desperate for three points, look for Harry Maguire to play an important role if the Red Devils are to keep Southampton off the scoreboard.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Manchester United will be relying on Marcus Rashford. The young forward has become the leader of the Red Devils attack this season. Despite missing a penalty last time out against Crystal Palace, Rashford will be relied on once again in this match. Creating chances for himself and teammates, Rashford is certain to be involved in any goal that Manchester United scores in this match.
Sofiane Boufal to Star for Injury Bitten Southampton
Losing both Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond for this weekend’s match, Southampton will be forced to rely on former outcast Sofiane Boufal. Struggling to establish himself under former managers Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrino, and Mark Hughes, Boufal was shipped out on loan last season. Spending the entire campaign with Spanish side Celta Vigo, Boufal did little to eliminate the question marks surrounding him.
Given a second chance under current boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, Boufal has already shown himself as a changed man. Playing extremely well in his limited minutes this season, Boufal is set to earn his first start this Saturday. Should Boufal continue to play well, the Moroccan Magician could become the next star player for Southampton. His first test, work his magic against the mighty Manchester United.
Besides Boufal, another player that will play a major role for Southampton in this match will be Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Earning his 100th Saints Cap on Tuesday night at Fulham, Hojbjerg played exceptionally well at left back. The club captain, Hojbjerg led by example against Fulham. The Danish International will need to do that once again this weekend when the Saints play host to Manchester United.
Match Prediction
Appearing to struggle in recent matches, Manchester United has become a hot mess. Surrounded my drama, the Red Devils are in need of some good news. In this edition of Southampton v Manchester United, that good news seems unlikely to come. It’s not all rosey news for the Saints however. Despite a good performance from Southampton, both sides share the points in what will be an exciting match.
Prediction: Southampton 2-2 Manchester United
Main Photo
