[ad_1]
* All prices are up-to-date with our stylish widget, while copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change.
Marcelo Bielsa returns on Sunday to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs when Athletic Bilbao dominated Manchester United at Old Trafford eight years ago.
An Ander Herrera inspired by Bilbao won 3-2 in Manchester and 5-3 on aggregate en route to a Europa League final where they were beaten by a rising Atlético de Madrid with Diego Simeone.
A lot has changed at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s team was defeated in such an exciting way, but Bielsa’s style of football remains the same and his Leeds team has been a pleasure to see the neutrals this season.
Leeds ‘first league match with their hated rivals since 2004 was always going to be a highly anticipated match, but given both teams’ playing styles it seems likely that a goalfest will be held from end to end and if you can only watch one match of the Premier League this weekend, make sure this is it.
Alan Curbishley: I missed my interview with the England manager, but I never had a chance anyway
Leeds will play their traditional high pressure style, commit numbers forward and leave themselves vulnerable to a team that is at its best on the fast break playing with space in front of them.
However, Leeds will be looking to exploit a United midfield and defense that may have problems playing against an organized high press as we saw when Arsenal dominated in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in early November.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s favorite duo at the base of midfield this season have been Fred and Scott McTominay, but neither have the class on the ball to get out of tight areas and pass progressively, so Leeds should stifle United’s flow by pressing for both players.
Wally on the lolly: manager moments that deserve to be coined
This game is set up as one where Leeds control possession, win the XG battle, but then a few moments of individual quality from Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes thwart them on the fast break in a high-scoring game. It would be far from the first time this season that Rashford and Fernandes have concealed the huge cracks that exist in United’s midfield and defense.
As mentioned above I would expect Leeds to dominate this match for great periods and Patrick Bamford should have some opportunities to add to his 9 league goals. Bamford is tied with Harry Kane in having the most shots per game of any player in the Premier League and would expect that trend to continue Sunday.
Alan Curbishley: ‘The longer you’re gone, the more forgotten’
One area where United can punish Leeds is set pieces. No Premier League team has conceded more on set pieces than Bielsa’s team and thus this presents a great opportunity for Harry Maguire to capitalize on a decent price.
* All prices are up-to-date with our stylish widget, while copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change.
Manchester United v Leeds United bet summary – Sunday 20 December
Man Utd wins
More than 3.5 goals
Patrick Bamford will have more than 2 shots on goal
Harry Maguire will score at any time
These four selections are combined for a price of around 54/1. Just click on the widget below to bet, easy!
Read more:
Get the latest Premier League odds on PaddyPower.com
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
[ad_2]