Club football makes a return with another set of high-profile friendlies this weekend as Atletico Madrid lock horns with Erik ten Hag's Manchester United side in an intriguing clash at the Ullevaal Stadion on Saturday.
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Preview
Atletico Madrid finished in third place in the La Liga standings last season and have flattered to deceive over the past year. The Spanish outfit eased past Numancia with a comfortable 4-0 scoreline this week and will look to achieve a similar result in this fixture.
Manchester United, on the other hand, secured a sixth-place finish in the Premier League table this year and have missed out on a place in the UEFA Champions League. The Red Devils played out a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa in their previous game and will need to take it up a notch this weekend against their Spanish counterparts.
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Atletico Madrid have a surprisingly impressive record against Manchester United and have won two of the four matches played between the two teams, with the other two matches ending in draws.
- Manchester United scored and conceded 57 goals apiece in the Premier League last season and were the only team in the competition to have a goal difference of zero.
- Atletico Madrid have scored six goals in their four games against Manchester United and have conceded only two goals against the Red Devils.
- Manchester United have scored 13 goals in their four pre-season matches so far and have been in impressive form under Erik ten Hag.
- Atletico Madrid conceded a total of 43 goals in their 38 La Liga games last season - their worst defensive record in the competition in 10 years.
- Manchester United's sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season represents their worst performance in the competition in three years.
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Prediction
Atletico Madrid have several issues to address at the moment and were surprisingly inconsistent last season. Los Colchoneros have impressive players in their ranks and will look to rebuild yet again under Diego Simeone.
Manchester United have a shockingly poor record against Atletico Madrid and will look to secure their first-ever victory against the Spanish giants this weekend. Both teams are evenly matched, however, and could play out a draw on Saturday.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Atletico Madrid
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Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - No
Tip 3: Manchester United to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Marcus Rashford to score - Yes