MUFC (Manchester United) vs WWFC (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Match Prediction
England
Old Trafford
The season started horribly for Erik Ten Hag last season after his Manchester United side started off the season with two consecutive defeats. The Dutchman turned it around in fantastic fashion by claiming the Carabao Cup, Manchester United's 1st trophy since 2016/17. Ten Hag’s success last season was based on their brilliant home form and man management. Manchester United also went deep into the other cup competitions reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League and the final of the FA Cup. In the Premier League, Ten Hag finished 3rd in the league defying all the odds with controversies around Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United this season will want to challenge for the title and have bought in some fresh blood for the charge. Mason Mount has come in from Chelsea to add to United's midfield dynamism. David De Gea’s stay as United’s no 1 ended following the arrival of ball-playing goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan. The Red Devils lacked a striker last season with the departure of Ronaldo and the injuries to Martial. Ten Hag decided to spend big money on Rasmus Hojlund. The 20-year-old Danish striker was signed for a total package of 72 million pounds from Atalanta. The Red Devils still have more business to carry out in the transfer window with the impending departures of Harry Maguire and Fred and the potential arrivals of Sofyan Amrabat and Benjamin Pavard. If everything clicks for Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United could be a dangerous unit this season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers on the other hand are in all sorts of turmoil. Julien Lopetegui resigned as Wolves manager days before the season could start complaining about a lack of investment in the squad and backing. Lopetegui’s arrival midway last season helped Wolves convincingly stay up in the Premier League despite their horrendous away form. Wolves have replaced Lopetegui with former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil who also did so well to keep the Cherries up last season. Wolves still have quite a strong core in terms of their competition. It remains to be seen if Wolves back O’Neil with some funds or tell him to make do with what they have.
Facts
- In their last meeting at Old Trafford towards the end of the season Manchester United beat Wolves 2-0 with goals from Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho.
- The Red Devils have lost just 1 out of 12 games against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Erik Ten Hag’s men have won 8 and drawn 3.
- Wolves’ last win against Manchester United at Old Trafford came in 2022 thanks to Joao Moutinho’s only goal in the 82nd minute.
- Is the fifth time lucky? Manchester United's record of going on to win a title when they start the league on a Monday is quite good. United have gone on to win the title on three out of the four occasions when they start their campaign on a Monday.
- Manchester United's opening game week record has not been the best in recent seasons. They have lost 2 out of their last 3 opening games. Even then they still hold the record for the most wins on opening day with 20.
- Wolves have lost consecutive opening games in the last two seasons. If they lose to Manchester United on Monday it will be the first time since 1988/89-1990/91 that they will have lost three consecutive opening day fixtures.
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Chance of Winning
Manchester United has a far superior head-to-head record against Wolves in recent times. In the last 21 games between these two sides, Manchester United has won 13 games; 4 games have ended in a draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers winning 4 times.
Manchester United dominated at Old Trafford last season. They had an average win percentage of 79% at Old Trafford collecting 2.53 points a game. Erik Ten Hag’s men have won their last six games at home. Their defensive record at Old Trafford is also spectacular conceding the fewest goals at home than any other side in the league with 10 goals.
On the flip side, the Wolves' record away from Molineux was nothing but disappointing. Wolves just won 2, drew 5 and lost 12 games away from home last season. Their record however in pre-season has not been quite bad. Wolves won 3 games, drew 2 and lost just once.
Manchester United will go into this game highly motivated to start their season on a high. Wolves know how to beat Manchester United at home having done it recently but their chances on this occasion look very slim. The best possible outcome for Wolves would be to show some fight and not lose by a very heavy margin. Wolves will need to keep United quiet in the opening 10 minutes of the game because if Manchester United scores early it could be a long night for them.
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Predictions and Betting Tips
As per the bookmakers, Manchester United goes into this game as odds-on favourites to win. According to this season’s statistics, Manchester United scored 1.89 goals on average at Old Trafford last season. The Red Devils last season did win games but not by very high margins. We expect Manchester United to improve in front of goal this season but not straight away. Hence tip is to back Manchester United to score 3 goals or under on Monday night. Last season’s top-scorer Marcus Rashford will be expected to start through the middle with new striker signing Hojlund still out through fitness issues. Rashford is odds-on favourite to score on Monday and we back the Englishman. Bruno Fernandes comes in as 2nd favourite to back when it comes to getting attacking returns. A dark horse for Manchester United will be Alejandro Garnacho. We advise you to check the lineups before the game and back Garnacho to get attacking returns if he starts.
Wolverhampton Wanderers conceded 2.00 goals on average on their travels last season. In terms of scoring too their numbers are bad when it comes to playing away. Wolves scored only 0.63 goals on average per game when they played away last season. We however believe that Wolverhampton Wanderers will score at Old Trafford on Monday. Manchester United have conceded at least a goal in their last five consecutive pre-season games. In terms of Wolves attackers, Matheus Cunha will be one to watch out for.
Final Prediction: Manchester United to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester United Player List
Goalkeepers:Andre Onana, Tom Heaton, Dean Henderson
Defenders:Aaron Wan Bissaka, Diogo Dalot, Brandon Williams, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw
Midfielders:Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Scott McTominay, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen, Kobee Mainoo, Hannibal Mejbri, Donny Van De Beek
Attackers:Facundo Pellistri, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Amad Diallo, Anthony Martial, Rasmus Hojlund
Manchester United Playing XI
|
Player |
Role |
|
Andre Onana |
Goalkeeper |
|
Aaron Wan Bissaka |
Defender |
|
Raphael Varane |
Defender |
|
Lisandro Martinez |
Defender |
|
Luke Shaw |
Defender |
|
Casemiro |
Midfielder |
|
Bruno Fernandes |
Midfielder |
|
Mason Mount |
Midfielder |
|
Antony |
Attacker |
|
Alejandro Garnacho |
Attacker |
|
Marcus Rashford |
Attacker |
Manchester United Team Form(Last 5 games): L, W, W, W, W
Wolverhampton Wanderers Player List
Goalkeepers: Jose Sa, Dan Bentley, Tom King
Defenders: Rayan Ait-Nouri, Craig Dawson, Jonny, Nelson Semedo, Maximilian Kilman, Toti, Hugo Bueno, Matt Doherty
Midfielders: Mario Lemina, Boubacar Traore, Matheus Nunes, Joao Moutinho, Joao Gomes, Joe Hodge
Attackers: Pedro Neto, Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence, Hee-Chan Hwang, Matheus Cunha, Sasa Kalajdzic, Pablo Sarabia, Diego Costa, Fabio Silva
Wolverhampton Wanderers Playing XI
|
Player |
Role |
|
Jose Sa |
Goalkeeper |
|
Nelson Semedo |
Defender |
|
Craig Dawson |
Defender |
|
Maximilian Kilman |
Defender |
|
Rayan Ait-Nouri |
Defender |
|
Matheus Nunes |
Midfielder |
|
Mario Lemina |
Midfielder |
|
Joao Gomes |
Midfielder |
|
Pablo Sarabia |
Attacker |
|
Matheus Cunha |
Attacker |
|
Daniel Podence |
Attacker |
Wolverhampton Wanderers Team Form(Last five games): L, W, L, D, L
Manchester vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Head-To-Head
Matches Played:111
Manchester United wins:54
Wolverhampton Wanderers wins:37
Matches are drawn:20
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Betting Odds
The odds of Wolves winning are set at 12.00. Manchester United are the hands down favourites to win with their odds being set at 1.30. The odds of the match ending in a draw are set at 5.30. The betting odds have been calculated based on team performances in previous matches, player records etc.
Our Prediction
Favorites to win: Manchester United
We predict that Manchester United will be strong favourites to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Monday. The Red Devils have had a topsy-turvy pre-season run but their record at Old Trafford has been solid as of late. The Red Devils have been unbeaten at home since the 1st game of last season when they were beaten at Brighton. Playing at Old Trafford is a difficult proposition for most teams. With the signings of Onana, Mount and Hojlund, United looks like a stronger outfit. Wolves have problems of their own. It’s troubling times for the Wolves with no major improvements to their squad considering how poor they were away from home last season. Manchester United under the lights on the 1st day of the season is always a tough place to go to. Manchester United will want to start the season on a strong note considering both their rivals for the title Arsenal and Manchester City have already won their opening games. One year under Erik Ten Hag’s philosophy will make Manchester United stronger. This game will come too early for Gary O’Neil to put his footprint on the squad. Manchester United winning this game 3-1 is what we predict.
