Man Utd favorites to beat Villarreal in Europa League final?

Manchester United can end the season with silverware as they take on Villarreal in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to win a trophy as United manager but the Norwegian coach has an excellent opportunity to end the drought in Poland this week.

Man Utd head into the game after finishing second in the Premier League which has booked their place in the Champions League next campaign.

Solskjaer was afforded the luxury of being able to rest several important players on the final day of the season but United still came away with a 2-1 win at Wolves to finish the season in style.

Villarreal on the other hand ended their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Real Madrid but they still secured European football after finishing seventh in La Liga.

Unai Emery is a Europa League master having reached the final on five occasions and he’ll be aiming to win the trophy for the fourth time.

Villarreal booked their place in the final with a narrow 2-1 win over Arsenal so they certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.

Betting odds

It will be no surprise to hear that Manchester United are the pre-match favorites with bookmakers such as 22Bet, who’re pricing the Red Devils at 2/5 to lift the trophy. You can check info on the bookie and see all the latest odds before placing your bet.

Villarreal are the underdogs and can be backed at odds of 2/1 to cause a shock in Poland on Wednesday night while the draw after 90 minutes is available at 12/5 if you think it will go to extra time.

We think United will get the job done inside the 90 minutes and 3-1 looks a decent bet at odds of 35/1. Bruno Fernandes to score anytime at odds of 17/10 is also a tempting bet.

Team news

Solskjaer will make plenty of changes to his starting eleven with several players recalled after being rested for the trip to Wolves at the weekend. Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani should all come into the side.

Man Utd will give Harry Maguire every opportunity to prove his fitness as the defender looks to return from an ankle injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks. However, the England international is considered a major doubt.

Anthony Martial will also require a late fitness test as the Frenchman is struggling with a knee problem that’s kept him out for the past two months.

However, there is some good news for United as Fred and Scott McTominay are expected to overcome minor issues to return in midfield.

Villarreal have no fresh injury concerns but they will be without attacker Samuel Chukwueze while Juan Foyth and Vicente Iborra are also set to miss out.

Prediction: Man Utd 3-1 Villarreal

10 Incredible Football facts which make you impressed!

Are you a dedicated football fan who enjoys sharing interesting football stories?
Prepare yourself for some astonishing stories and feel free to share them with your friends!

1. Mark Hughes played for Wales national team and Bayern Munich on the same day.
It happened in 1988 during qualifying matches.

Hughes had just signed the contract Munich and he was prompted to play against Wales. He shared the story: “I had dinner with Uli Hoeness who asked me what time the Wales match was. I told him it was around midday and he said That’s OK then, you can play in the evening as well. After the match, Hughes crossed to the other side of the Czech Republic to play against Borussia Monchengladbach. He said: “We actually flew over the ground and missed the first half, but I got there at the start of the second half.”

2. West Ham football player, Alvin Martin, scored a hat-trick against three different
goalkeepers in a match against Newcastle – Martin Thomas, Chris Hedworth and
Peter Beardsley.

3. Clie Allen scored 28 goals for QPR in season 79-80. After the season, Arsenal paid
more than a million for him but sent him to Palace after only three friendly matches.

4. Starting from season 1982, Bayern football players have at least one place at World
Cup Finals. The last in the row was Arjen Robben during World Cup 2010.

5. When Alex Ferguson came to Manchester United, Aston Villa football club was
better than red devils. By 1986, Villa took seven Premier League titles, seven FA
Cups, three League Cups, and a European Cup.

Before Alex Ferguson took over the team, Manchester United had won seven Premier League titles, six FA Cups, and a European Cup.

With Sir Alex in charge, Manchester United won the Premier League 13 times and now have a record total of 20 English League titles. What an amazing achievement for the Scottish manager! Lucky Nugget Casino NZ are a great way of entertainment for worldwide customers. If you want to test the option, we recommend progressive slots that bring life- changing prizes. Have a look at Lucky Nugget site for more info.

6. If you want to translate word Pittodrie (home of Aberdeen) in Gaelic, it will sound
like s*** heap or (‘place of manure’ or ‘hill of dung)

7. László Kubala was the only football player who competed for three national teams:
Spain, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. This was the first player who had official
recognition of FIFA for the same thing. Former Real Madrid star Alfredo Di Stefano
also played for three national teams: Spain, Colombia, and Argentina but at a time
when Colombia football association was not recognized.

8. Jimmy Rimmer is a unique player which got European Cup winners with two
different clubs from England (Manchester United and Aston Villa)

9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic used to play for six clubs which won Champions League
Trophy. However, he has never won the same competition. Zlatan played for Inter,
Ajax, Juventus, Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona. What bad luck!

10. Giuseppe Bergomi participated in four World Cups but he has never played in
qualifiers. But how is that possible? The ex Italian defender used to play for the
national team in seasons 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1998. During the first qualifying
phase (1982), Bergomi was only 18 and he was not in the first squad. For World Cup 1990, Italy qualified as host and 1998 was too late for Bergomi when he received a
surprising invitation from the coach.

As you can see, football is always associated with interesting facts and stories. Make
sure to follow them all and learn something new.

Manchester United to seal Torino defender Izzo’s Signing?

With Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Lindelof, and Eric Bailly on the squad, Manchester United’s major problem last season appeared to be on the defensive end. Thus, it is not surprising to see the Red Devils linked with the signing of a few defenders.

This time, the media are linking the Red Devils to the signing of Torino’s Armando Izzo who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal in the last two weeks. Thanks to football live stream sites such as today’s football live stream, we could tell from the many Torino matches we were able to watch last season that Izzo is better than all of United’s centre-backs.

He would likely be a shrewd signing for the Red Devils. Obviously, Many Manchester United fans would prefer if the club signs someone like Matthijs De Ligt but that deal is not happening. Izzo, 27, was named in Serie A team of the year and has also been linked with a move to Arsenal.

Manchester United could however be set to hijack the move after missing out on the signing of Matthijs De Ligt who appears to be on his way to Juventus and Mats Hummels who has since returned to his former German club Borussia Dortmund. The player has also been linked with Everton in recent times but all indications point to the real battle for his signature being between Arsenal and Manchester United and not
Everton.

The Gunners on their part have reportedly sent in a 25m euros bid for the player and it remains to be seen if Torino will accept the bid. However, if United really want him, they have all it takes to win the race for his signature. Arsenal reportedly have only £45m before sales while United reportedly have £100 million before sales. Aside having more money to spend than Arsenal, United is able to pay more wages then the Gunners who appear to be suffering from sort of a cash crunch at the moment.

According to Italian media outlet Tuttosport, Torino have slapped a prize tag of €30m on the player. Should United win the race for the signature of the 6 foot tall Italian, it will be a massive coup for the club but will his signing be enough?

It’s time for Ashley Young to go while a proper defender must be brought in to replace him. The future of Paul Pogba needs to be sorted out immediately, so additional funds can be made available from his selling fee. Critical time ahead for United.

How Barcelona will beat Man Utd

Screenshot 2019-04-04 at 17.31.29

They might be favourites to win the tie over two legs, but there’s no way that Barcelona will be taking Manchester United lightly, particularly at Old Trafford.

Playing at the Camp Nou for the second leg may seem to afford the Catalans an advantage of sorts, but Ernesto Valverde and his team will want to make that a formality.

In order to do so, they’ll need to take the game to the Red Devils and quieten the expected 75,000 crowd.

But just how are they going to manage it?

Continue reading

Barcelona mustn’t underestimate Manchester United

Screenshot 2019-03-15 at 18.51.34

As with any Champions League draw, the supporters of the remaining participants were waiting with baited breath for the news from Nyon, Switzerland.

Barcelona were the second to last ball drawn by which time there was only one opponent left in the bowl – Manchester United.

The Catalans have good recent memories of their clashes with the Red Devils. Continue reading

Pogba on his way to becoming a Fantasy Legend?

When Paul Pogba re-joined Manchester United from Juventus for £89.3 million at the start of the 2016-17 season, Premier League fantasy players were excited about the point potential of the midfield powerhouse. His addition at Old Trafford also influenced a number of bettors to stake on United winning the league with the influential midfielder controlling the center of the park.

The Frenchman had been a commanding force in Serie A but, in his first two seasons at Old Trafford, Pogba was a serious let-down. In that time, the World Cup winner only notched eleven goals, and his fantasy returns were abysmal. But now that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken over from Jose Mourinho as the Red Devils manager, Pogba is reborn. In fact, the 25-year-old is well on the way to becoming a fantasy legend and a bettor’s dream.

There is no denying that Pogba is now an essential player for any fantasy manager hoping to finish the season in one of the higher rank tiers. On the official Fantasy Premier League page, the United man is in 43 percent of teams, and only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah can be found in more teams at 50.4 percent. Ever since Solskjaer took over as caretaker manager at Old Trafford, it has been clear that Pogba was restrained under the stewardship of Mourinho. The former United striker appears to have given his star player free reign to do as he pleases, and Pogba is relishing the opportunity. In fact, staking on the Frenchman to score in any game at the moment looks like a sensible bet. 

United’s transformation under Solskjaer has been epitomised by the rise of Pogba. They began way outside the top four before the Norwegian came in, but now a Champions League qualifying place next season is theirs to lose. All the latest betting sites are favouring Solskjaer’s charges to hold out for a top-four finish, but staking on that eventuality with a free bet is the best way to avert risk with Arsenal and Chelsea breathing down United’s neck. Sites like MoPlay are offering £30 in free bets to new players, for example. At this rate, it wouldn’t be totally out of the question to put an early bet on United winning the league next year as well.

Since Solskjaer took over as manager of the thirteen-time Premier League winners, Pogba has scored eight goals and registered six assists in nine top-flight games. These are hugely impressive returns, especially for a player who can be signed for a mere 8.4 million in the game. Pogba not only represents an indispensable asset for every midfield, but he is also a major contender for the captaincy every week. The skilful ball player can add goals from open play but is also the designated penalty taker. This means he has the potential to explode and rake in tons of points on a weekly basis. Pogba is now easily the best value for money player in the game and is tussling with the likes of Salah to end the season with the highest number of points.

If Pogba can continue this output, his price will skyrocket in the 2019-20 season. He is proving to be one of the best, if not the best, player to own in Fantasy Premier League, and is on his way to making a name for himself as a point scoring legend. This is exactly what fantasy managers and bettors had hoped for from the United academy product when he returned to his old stomping ground.

 

Modern Love and The Manchester United Way

Screenshot 2019-02-19 at 15.04.02

Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appear more of a revelation as time passes by. Last week there were rumblings of the wheels having come off, the extended honeymoon being over but how premature we all were.

Let’s be fair. On the face of it I’m not sure any credible football person really believed post Moyes, VG and Mourinho that Man United were anywhere near a Champions League credible force.

However, what a way to bounce back. Stamford Bridge hasn’t been the best of hunting grounds for the reds even in the Ferguson era yet on Monday night, United cruised through the tie like a classic car on a demonstration circuit through the streets of Monaco. Continue reading

Does Solskjaer Perform Miracles?

Well, frankly it is looking like he just might, and here at freetips.com, we are rooting for him. It has been a turbulent season for United, and the silverware has looked so far out of their grasp it has been a humbling time for the once glorious reds who ruled Manchester.

As if Manchester City winning last season was not bad enough for them, it is looking likely that the Manchester blues will retain the title for the second year running while Old Trafford languishes as a former ground of glory that has now seen a downturn in luck.

Such has been the gravity of the situation that in December manager Jose Mourinho was given his marching orders. He may now live to regret one of his final comments when he stated that it would need ‘almost a miracle’ for the team to pull out of the nosedive and finish respectably within the top four. Clearly, caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took that as ‘challenge accepted’, and boy has he turned around the performance level of the Red Devils. When Mourinho left the club they were 11 points behind the much coveted Champions League place. It was indeed looking like an impossible task.

You can almost hear the “Mission Impossible” title credits rolling as Ole worked his magic, racking up an incredible eight wins and one draw in just six short weeks, landing Man United into that fourth place position one point clear of Arsenal and Chelsea. There is little doubt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considers United his home, and his own playing career there was rather successful.

The Baby-faced Assassin as he was dubbed earned a reputation as a super sub frequently coming off the bench at the last moment and scoring some incredible goals. Unfortunately, a severe knee injury ended his career in 2007 and keen to stay with his club he became a coach and ambassador. Later his role was augmented, and he took on coaching responsibility for the reserve team.

He returned home in 2011 to manage Molde and secure them their first ever Tippeligaen title, and then just to prove it wasn’t a fluke he did it again for a second time. In his third season, he took them to the 2013 Norwegian Football Cup Final where the team triumphed. After a brief stint at Cardiff, he was back at Molde until 2018 when Man United came knocking, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer answered.

It is clear that momentum is building as fans, and players alike, feel that it is time Solskjaer was officially made the manager, but not everyone agrees. Gary Neville has said that he does not think the timing is right and the situation should be looked at in March and decided in April.

Wes Brown, however, feels that Solskjaer is by far and away the best fit the team have had for some time and that the formalities should be put in place to make him full-time manager. Whatever happens, it has to be said that Ole has actually performed the much-needed miracle.

What’s made Paul Pogba tick again?

Paul Pogba is back! Most chances created against Bournemouth, tracking back to make tackles and blocks, breaking into the opponents’ box with the endeavour of club legend Bryan Robson and, with another brace, he’s scoring goals for fun.

So what exactly is going on?

Only a mere matter of weeks ago social media was awash with footage of he and Jose Mourinho arguing in training, the armband was unceremoniously removed and a seat on the bench was the best that life was going to get for United’s £90 million superstar. Continue reading

Arsenal can show Man Utd what they are missing

It was the best performance of Unai Emery’s time as Arsenal manager so far. Indeed, the Gunners’ display in the North London derby against Spurs on Sunday was everything the club’s fans wanted to see from their team in the post-Arsene Wenger era. It was fast and furious. There was a game plan. And most importantly, there was a victory.

One wonders what those Manchester United supporters who just so happened to catch the game thought of what they saw. 24 hours earlier, their team had struggled to a 2-2 draw against Southampton- the bottom team in the Premier League. It was in stark contrast to what Arsenal served up.

unnamed

Now, the two teams will face each other on Wednesday night. For both teams, this could be a season-defining clash. Man United are in desperate need of a win to give their chances of finishing in the top four a shot in the arm, while Arsenal also need a victory to shore up the progress they have made in recent weeks.

In terms of a sporting identity, there are plenty of parallels between Arsenal and Manchester United. They were fierce of rivals for years, when Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson locked horns for major honours, but in retrospect, there was more to unite them than there was to divide them.

Both sets of fans expect their team to play attractive, dynamic and attacking football. They also expect their team to challenge for silverware having grown accustomed to success. In recent years, the parallels have become even clearer, with Arsenal and Man United left looking upwards at teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and even Leicester City.

But while United have festered and allowed malaise to grow at the club, Arsenal have taken measures to overhaul themselves. The replacement of Wenger with Emery in the summer was the most public- most significant part of that overhaul- but changes have also taken place behind the scenes.

This has manifested itself in what we have seen on the pitch from Arsenal so far this season. They have a transfer strategy, a clear and coherent notion of what they want the club to be, and of what they want the club to represent. This led them to the hiring of Emery through a comprehensive recruitment process in line with this approach.

United, on the other hand, are utterly dependent on one man, Jose Mourinho. And that one man is charged with imposing an identity on the club. This is an infrastructure that rarely works in the modern game, and we are seeing that in the way United have struggled this season.

Arsenal can show Manchester and their fans what they are missing on Wednesday night. They can show the Old Trafford club what happens when there is a plan and when that plan is implemented properly.

How well do you know European Football? Want to challenge the best English Fantasy Managers? Play www.epl-fantasy.com now.