Manchester United suddenly faces the prospect of losing out on Champion League football as they search for their first league win since February against Brentford this midweek at OId Trafford.
MUN vs BRE Match Details
Date: Wednesday, 5 April 2023 / Thursday, 6 April 2023
Time: 21:00 (CET) / 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
MUN vs BRE Match Preview
If anybody told Manchester United would miss out on the top four of the Premier League this season a month back, the person would have been laughed at yet it is a scenario the club could face at the end of the season. Since winning the Carabao Cup, the Red Devils suffered a slump in the league not winning or even scoring in the three games that followed the final at the end of February despite maintaining consistency in other competitions. Last weekend they lost to the finalists of the competition, Newcastle United at St James’ Park. United put up a miserable performance managing only one shot on target as David De Gea saved them from humiliation which could have been if the Magpies scored more than the strikes from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson for 2-0. The loss was devastating in the case that the Toons overtook them to the third position on the table carrying the same points (50). To make matters worse, Tottenham Hotspurs has crept back into the top four conversations amid their own chaos, pulling United down to fifth after their draw against Everton on Monday night. Erik ten Hag’s men will be anxious to recover their form in the midweek clash against Brentford at Old Trafford, a place they have not won in over a month. The Bees also taught them a footballing lesson in the past meeting this season by defeating them 4-0 in the Dutch manager’s second game in charge. The Red Devils will wish to have the ‘passion, desire and hunger’ they lacked in the defeat on Sunday from now on with 11 matches to play or bid goodbye to the Champions League places.
Meanwhile, Brentford are facing a completely opposite side of things and could stake a claim for European football if they do the double over Manchester United on Wednesday for only the second time since 1936-37. This adds another chapter to the progress Thomas Frank’s side has made over the last few years in earning promotion to the top-flight only last season. The Bees only had one unconvincing loss to Everton in the last 16 league games. A run that saw them defeat Liverpool and Manchester City and share points with Tottenham and leaders Arsenal. They almost had another victory to add to their tally of seven in that period, leading 3-2 away at Brighton until the very last minute in a pulsating game. The home side was awarded a penalty by consulting the VAR after Aaron Hickey’s arm came in the way of Deniz Undav’s close-range effort on goal which Alexis Mac Allister converted for a share of points. Pontus Jansson put Brentford in front inside only the 10th minute of the match before Kaoru Mitoma leveler before Ivan Toney and Danny Welbeck found the net to make it 2-2 before half-time. Then Ethan Pinnock retakes the lead early in the second half which the away side could not hold onto at the end in waves of Brighton attack. Brentford will wish for a repeat of their performance in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford if they are to dismiss Red Devil’s stellar home form with the Ten Hag’s side not having suffered defeat in any competition since September last year or in the league since the opening game of the season. However, they lost this fixture 3-0 last season against a less dominating United team.
Recent Form (all competitions)
MUN: LWWDW
Recent Form (Premier League)
MUN: LDLWW
BRE: DDWLW
MUN vs BRE Team News
The big news for Manchester United on the injury front is that Christian Eriksen has returned to group training but is not fit enough to face his former side in the midweek. The Danish playmaker was sidelined with an ankle injury suffered in the FA Cup win over Reading in late January. Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back from his illness to feature from the start while Anthony Martial could also begin upfront since January’s Manchester City after returning to the side against Newcastle as a substitute in the past weekend.
Vitaly Janelt has returned to training for Brentford after recovering from a knee injury but the game comes too soon for him. The Dane’s midfield partner Frank Onyeka will also miss the game with a hamstring problem. Kristoffer Ajer (calf) and Keane Lewis-Potter (knee) are also unavailable while Mads Roerslev is in contention for the match after returning at the weekend from an injury. Midfielder Shandon Baptiste is suspended for his second yellow shown in the match against Leicester City.
MUN vs BRE Predicted Lineups
MUN: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia; Marcel Sabitzer, Fred; Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Anthony Martial
BRE: David Raya; Ben Mee, Ethan Pinnock, Pontus Jansson; Aaron Hickey, Mikel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard, Rico Henry; Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney
MUN vs BRE Head to head
MUN won: 8
Drawn: 2
BRE won: 6
(In overall meetings)
MUN vs BRE Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: De Gea (7.5)
DEF: Wan-Bissaka (8), Mee (8.5), L Martinez (8.5), Pinnock (7)
MID: B Fernandes (9), Jensen (8.5), Fred (8)
FW: Mbeumo (8), Toney (9), Rashford (9)
Vice-captain: Ivan Toney
Captain: Marcus Rashford
Stay tuned to Fantasy Football for upcoming matches.
