Manchester United’s season is far from over with the Europa League final ahead, but their Premier League campaign has dropped all momentum recently. The Reds have failed to win in their last five Premier League fixtures which has seen the side drop away from the top four places down into sixth place.
Whilst most of Mourinho’s focus will be on the 24th of May, the United fans would like to see their team end the Premier League campaign on a high note against Crystal Palace at the weekend. The Reds will want to be taking some kind of momentum into the game against Ajax and a decent victory at the weekend will give them a much needed confidence boost.
Crystal Palace come into the game off the back of a 4-0 victory against Hull which saw them confirm their place in the Premier League next season. Allardyce has done what he does best and dragged Palace away from the drop zone and has beaten some big teams in the path to survival in recent weeks. Last month Palace beat Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal and will be looking to replicate those performances this weekend against Man Utd.
Last time out, Manchester United played part in a 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday night. It was a relatively tame performance from The Reds against Southampton with United only managing a single shot on target. Southampton had the best chance of the game just six minutes in as Bailly handled the ball and a penalty was awarded, even though replays showed that Bailly was in fact outside of the area. Gabbiadini stepped up to take the the penalty, but Sergio Romero was equal to the shot.
With the Europa League final coming so close to the last day of the Premier League season, Mourinho is highly unlikely to risk any injuries or fatigue by starting key players on Sunday. Wayne Rooney led the line on Wednesday night and Mourinho will probably give the United captain another run out on Sunday. The United defence is most likely going to be changed around as Bailly, Smalling and Jones all featured on Wednesday night – Mourinho would ideally like to keep these players fresh ahead of the Europa League final.
United are favoured by the bookies to pick up all three points, priced at 33/20 to get the job done at Old Trafford. The draw and Crystal Palace can both be backed at 23/10. In the reverse fixture back in December, it was Manchester United who came out on top at Selhurst Park with a 2-1 win away from home. Judging by recent form however, this is a tough game to call.
(Prices From Bet on Brazil – odds may fluctuate)
