With pressure mounting on Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, the Red Devils travel away to Stoke in a must-win clash for the manager. The past few weeks have been horrible to say the least for the 20-time Premier League champions and Louis van Gaal has reportedly been given three games to turn United’s season around.
Mark Hughes’s men come into this game on the back of a surprise home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace and will be keen to move on from that loss. Stoke’s season did not begin in the best possible manner but since then the side has regrouped and consistently done well.
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Kickoff and Telecast
Channel: Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD2
Live stream: Star Sports
Date and Time: Saturday, 26 December 2015 – 18:15 IST
Venue: Britannia Stadium
Team News
Stoke City
Stoke are all set to miss the services of midfielder Stephen Ireland and Peter Crouch. But Mark Hughes has the luxury of sticking to the starting XI that has done well so far this season. Marko Arnautovic has scored five goals this season and will hold the key for the Potters. Glen Whelan has been a revelation this season and will partner Charlie Adam in the middle of the field.
Manchester United
The likes of Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia are out with long term injuries while youngster Jesse Lingard is also set to miss this game. In the absence of Italian Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young is expected to start as the right back. However, the major absentee is Bastian Schweinsteiger who is serving the last of a three-match ban.
Probable Lineups
Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Wollschied, Pieters; Whelan, Adam; Shaqiri, Bojan, Arnautovic; Diouf
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Young, Smalling, Jones, Blind; Carrick, Schneiderlin; Mata, Rooney, Depay; Martial
Form
Stoke suffered a setback last week at home losing out to Crystal Palace. Apart from that, the Potters have been doing well in recent times. They have won four of their last seven games with wins against the likes of Chelsea and Southampton and have kept clean sheets in six of the eight games.
Last 5 matches: L-D-W-W-L(Last match: Stoke City 1-2 Crystal Palace)
United have had a horrific spell of late. They have lost three games on the trot which saw them being knocked out of the Champions League and also slip away from the title race. They have picked up just two points from the last five league games and have won just three of the last thirteen matches.
Last 5 matches: L-L-L-D-D(Last match: Manchester United 1-2 Norwich City)
Key Stats
- Stoke have conceded just twice in their last eight games
- Wayne Rooney has scored just once in his last nine games and hasn’t scored in the last five games against Stoke
- Stoke have scored the least number of goals in the league this season-14.
Key Battles
Marko Arnautovic vs Ashley Young
In the absence of Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young is expected to start as the right back and faces a tough battle ahead. The Austrian Arnautovic has been Stoke’s standout performer this season with five goals and will be keen to hog the limelight against United.
Defenders have found it difficult to deal with the ex-Bremen star’s pace and skill. In the absence of a regular right back, the onus will be on Arnautovic to create problems down the right for United.
Anthony Martial vs Ryan Shawcross
Manchester United’s main threat up front is Frenchman Anthony Martial who comes into this game having scored against Norwich. If Stoke are to prevent Martial from scoring, then Ryan Shawcross will have to play a crucial role. Shawcross has been brilliant over the past two months and will be keen to keep up that form.
Martial has great control with the ball at his feet and it will be very difficult for Shawcross to contain him. Further, the Frenchman has great speed which will certainly be a problem for the English international.
Betting odds (bet 365)
Stoke 12/5
Draw 9/4
United 27/20
Prediction
Playing Stoke at the Britannia Stadium is always a tough task and United will have their backs against the wall. Van Gaal’s men currently seem to be a side in freefall and drastic changes are needed to turn things around. Stoke are a tough side to defeat and have the calibre to pull off a narrow win at home.
Stoke City 2-1 Manchester United
