12 Jun 2019
Wolves and Manchester United both have European ambitions and Tuesday’s Premier League clash could prove pivotal for both sides. Following this fixture, each will have just six more games to determine whether they respectively make the Europa League or the Champions League next season.
Seventh place will guarantee a spot in the Europa League, while fourth spot or better offers Champions League football and the riches that go with it.
Wolves currently sit seventh in the table, with just two points separating them from 11th-placed West Ham. Plus, the Old Gold have an FA Cup semi-final to play against Watford on Sunday, so this is a massive week for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Manchester United are in fourth place, level on points with third-placed Tottenham and just a point above Arsenal and Chelsea. United’s Genting Casino Premier League football odds to finish in the top four are Evens. Arsenal are at1/2, slumping Tottenham are 8/13 and Chelsea are 7/4 to make the Champions League next season. The outcome of Brexit is clearer at this stage!
United, who lost 2-1 to Wolves in the FA Cup quarter-final at Molineux, are priced at Evens to exact revenge, while the hosts are 11/4. The draw is on offer at 12/5.
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have Victor Lindelof available for the clash and fears that Anthony Martial, who picked up a knock in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Watford, would miss the game have been quashed.
With Romelu Lukaku also fit, United are blessed with a potent strike-force, although they will still be without Matteo Darmian, Eric Bailly, Antonio Valencia and Alexis Sanchez.
Bailly missed the Watford match after reportedly sustaining a head injury on international duty with Ivory Coast, while Valencia and Darmian have not played since January. Alexis is recovering from a knee injury that he sustained in United’s 3-2 win over Southampton on March 2.
Wolves slipped to a surprising 2-0 defeat at Burnley on Saturday, but they are seven games unbeaten at home.
The hosts made a couple of changes at Burnley. Jimenez who had been in California with Mexico, was rested and Matt Doherty was also put on the bench. Traore picked up the right wing back role with Cavaleiro playing as a striker.
The formation did not really work and Wolves’ biggest issue is up front. Take out Jiminez , who is the focal point, and they often look too predictable.
He is likely to return against United, however, and is 21/10 to score at any time and 6/1 to score the first goal. It is worth noting that he has already scored against the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and United this season.
UNITED AVENGE CUP DEFEAT?
While Wolves’ recent home record is good, the fact remains that their only win in their last six games came against Cardiff on March 2, when they were eight points ahead of 11th place.
With a run-in that includes games against relegation-threatened Southampton (H) and Brighton (A), followed by Arsenal (H), Watford (A), Fulham (H) and Liverpool (A), securing seventh place is by no means certain for Wolves.
United, who have an inferior goal difference to Tottenham and Arsenal, still have to face a two-legged Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, and games against West Ham (H), Manchester City (H), Everton (A) and Chelsea (H), so victory on Tuesday evening will be almost a requirement if they are to finish in the top four.
United have scored at least once in each of their last five visits to Molineux and Wolves have not won back-to-back meetings on their own patch since 1970-80.
Both sides have scored in six of the last seven meetings and it is 17/20 that both sides find the net this time. Likewise, six of the last seven meetings have yielded three goals or more and it is Evens that over 2.5 goals are scored.
Marcus Rashford is set to lead the line after returning to the United side following international duty and he has netted nine of his 13 goals away from home. He is 17/10 to score at any time, and is always a threat with his pace.
For all the odds on this vital Premier League game, click here.
