Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United
With a second-place finish in the Premier League already confirmed, Manchester United will have one final tune-up when they visit the Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux this Sunday.
Manchester United haven’t been at their best form in these last few matches, and they will certainly need a confidence boost ahead of their Europa League final against Villarreal next week in Gdansk.
As for the Wolves, a top-half finish is out of reach for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side since the 10th-seeded Leeds United are nine points clear. But getting a win in front of their live fans is a great way to cap off their 2020/21 campaign.
The Red Devils have been the better team historically against the Wolves. However, as shown in their most recent encounters, this won’t be a walk in a park at all for them.
With numerous supporters watching from the stands, these teams will have to bring their A-game to create multiple Premier League 2021 highlights.
Talking Points
Wolverhampton Wanderers get some good news
Wolves supporters were provided with a welcome update regarding Raul Jimenez’s recovery progress last Wednesday.
The striker has yet to play since suffering a fractured skull in November last year, but the team doctors confirmed that he can start his match-based rehab in July and he is cleared to join the team albeit on a limited capacity.
Seeing Jimenez on the sidelines should give Wolves fans something to cheer about especially since they have been struggling for goals all season.
Fabio Silva and Willian Jose have tried to fill in the void for the Wolves. However, they’ve only accounted for five goals combined.
Speedy winger Adama Traore also had his chances, but it is disappointing to know that he has only punched in three goals so far this term.
Leading scorer Pedro Neto, along with Daniel Podence, and Jonny are all going to be looking ahead towards next season as the team ruled them out for the season finale to recover from their knocks.
The offencive cudgels rests on Ruben Neves’ shoulders and he’ll be backstopped by the likes of Fabio Silva, Romain Saiss, and Joao Moutinho.
Manchester United are seeking momentum
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a huge conundrum to deal with in the next few days. The Red Devils are in need of a boost with a win here, but doing so might jeopardise the health of their key players ahead of the Europa League finals.
Team captain Harry Maguire is still recovering from an ankle injury and the club hopes that he’ll be fit just in time for next Wednesday. Meanwhile, midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay are listed as doubts.
Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani are expected to sit out, which opens more playing time for the likes of Juan Mata and Donny van de Beek.
Mata could be playing his final Premier League match for United as he is likely to leave the club in the summer, while van de Beek has an opportunity to make a strong case why he should play in Gdansk.
Eric Bailly will start in Harry Maguire’s place while Alex Telles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should provide support at the full-back position for United.
History
Manchester United have been the better side against the Wolves since they are the dominant team in their head-to-head matchup.
In their last 19 games together, the Red Devils have won 11 matches, whereas the Wolves have won four times along with four draws.
These two clubs featured in a heated battle last December to where United came away with a 1-0 victory as Marcus Rashford delivered the dagger during added time.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are undefeated against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in their last five games. The Wolves’ last win over United dates back to April 2019.
