Leicester City vs Manchester United
Two English top-flight heavyweights square off anew as Leicester City host Manchester United at the King Power Stadium.
With a semis berth in the FA Cup up for grabs, fans should mark Sunday night on their diaries as this will be a fixture that will involve multiple FA Cup 2021 highlights.
Both clubs are hungry for trophies and this season’s FA Cup is their best shot at doing so especially with Manchester City breaking away from the pack in the Premier League.
In their previous FA Cup games, Leicester City and Manchester United eked out 1-0 triumphs over Brighton and West Ham United respectively.
The Foxes and the Red Devils are also fresh from wins in the last time out, which means that both are coming in here confident about their chances to advance.
Talking points
Leicester City seek to end their FA Cup drought
The Foxes are aiming for an FA Cup final four appearance for the first time since the 1982 season.
Current Leicester City players probably weren’t born at that time, but they will take this one to heart ahead of their matchup against Manchester United.
The Foxes started their March on a great note as they’ve gone undefeated in three games. While they were held to a draw against Burnley, Brendan Rodgers’ side found their stride with convincing victories over Brighton and Sheffield United.
Attacking has been the point of emphasis for Leicester City, and lately we have seen Kelechi Iheanacho emerge as one of the team’s main threats.
The Nigerian international was reponsible in scoring six of their last eight goals, making him a marked man for the Red Devils’ defence.
Other than Iheanacho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will also have to worry about leading scorer Jamie Vardy, who has 14 goals and seven assists under his belt.
Manchester United’s problems at the back has been well-documented and Leicester City would surely do everything they can to exploit that.
Manchester United go for gold
United is going through the most crucial week of their 2020/21 campaign as they try to grab their first trophy in over four years.
The Red Devils inched one step closer to achieving their dream when they dispatched AC Milan last night in the Europa League, and they are hopeful to do the same when they take on the Foxes.
As mentioned earlier, the Red Devils backline will remain their sore point but the same can’t be said in terms of their midfield.
Paul Pogba reinvigorated United with his return by scoring the game-winning goal against the Rossoneri and he’ll be tasked to lead the attack once more alongside Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
Eric Bailly, Anthony Martial, and Edinson Cavani are all sidelined for this fixture, which would mean more playing time for the likes of Daniel James, Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay, and Fred.
United will also rely on Luke Shaw as he is enjoying the best form of his life. The 25-year-old full-back has generated 36 chances already, which is more than what Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo produced so far this term.
History
It has been a while since Leicester City and Manchester United met in the FA Cup. The last time that they squared off was back at the fifth round in 1976 where the Red Devils had a 2-1 win.
The Red Devils have won each of their last two FA Cup matches against the Foxes. Before their fifth round clash in 1976, they locked horns in the 1963 final where United also won 3-1.
United are aiming to reach the FA Cup semis for a record 31st time. They are currently level with Arsenal on appearances in the final four of the tournament.
Leicester City have lost all of their last three games at their backyard, but they’ve won six of their last eight home fixtures here in the FA Cup.
Betting Tip
Leicester City vs Manchester United | Manchester United Asian Handicap -0.00 @ 1.78 | |
March 22, 1:00(GMT+8) |
The FA Cup 2021 odds point to a highly-contested affair on Sunday.
Manchester United have the slight edge since they are priced to win at 2.39, whereas Leicester City are backed to win 2.90 and a draw is at 3.15 in the 1×2 market.
Both sides will fight tooth and nail to keep their trophy dreams alive so this match can go either way. In fact, I see this game being decided either via a late goal or via a penalty shootout.
However, I am backing for the Red Devils to move on simply because of their outstanding away form along with the Foxes’ woes at home.
Other than the quarterfinals tiff between Leicester City and Manchester United, also do check out the exciting clash between Everton and Manchester City that was covered here in SBOTOP.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH: | |||
---|---|---|---|
= €20 (Highly confident) | = €10 (CONFIDENT) | = €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The post FA Cup: The Foxes and Red Devils Fight For Glory appeared first on SBOTOP.