The wait is finally over. After a break of two months the most watched and arguably the best league in the world is back in action. Twenty times champions Manchester United take on North London giants Tottenham Hotspur in a high voltage opening game of the season.
Manchester United who had finished fourth in the league standings last season will feature in a more or less new look. Manager Louis van Gaal has made quite a few changes in his squad from last season. 5 new faces have been added to the roster. The Dutch manager will hoe his team gain the momentum right from the word goes. The Red Devils this time have a squad worthy of being champions. They most definitely will be a serious title contenders provided the new players gel up quickly with the English conditions.
Tottenham too have a very strong unit and Mauricio Pochettino can expect his team to do well this time also. They have a squad worthy of challenging the big boys in the league and win in their very first game of the season against giants Manchester United will do wonders to their squad. Spurs can gain confidence from their win against AC Milan in the Audi Cup match yesterday
The Predicted lineup for the match is given below:
|
Manchester United |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
Sergio Romero |
Michel Vorm |
|
Matteo Darmian |
Kyle Walker |
|
Chris Smalling |
Toby Alderwiereld |
|
Daley Blind |
Jan Vertonghen |
|
Luke Shaw |
Danny Rose |
|
Morgan Schneiderlin |
Ryan Mason |
|
Michael Carrick |
Nabil Bentaleb |
|
Juan Mata |
Eric Lamela |
|
Ashley Young |
Nacer Chadli |
|
Memphis Depay |
Christian Eriksen |
|
Wayne Rooney |
Harry Kane |
Key Battles
Wayne Rooney vs Jan Vertonghen
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney will be the key man upfront for the club. Louis van Gaal has assigned him a new role to play this season. Till last season Rooney mostly played from the midfield but Van Gaal confirmed last month that the English striker will suffice as a front striker. Tottenham Hotspur’s ace defender Jan Vertonghen will be in charge of marking the dangerous forward.
Juan Mata vs Danny Rose
Juan Mata is in good shape this time as he had a great pre-season tour with the Red Devils. He is the most important player in the club’s attack force after Wayne Rooney. Juan Mata will most probably be deployed in the right midfield position. Tottenham left back Danny Rose will have to keep a close eye on the talented Spaniard so that dangers can be averted.
Harry Kane vs Chris Smalling
The deadliest player in Tottenham Hotspur outfit is definitely the young English striker Harry Kane. The forward rose to prominence last season and had become the second highest goal scorer in the league last season. He is one of the best upcoming talents in the country right now and United’s Chris Smalling have to be cautious in handling the player. An unmarked Kane can spell doom for Manchester United in tomorrow’s game.
Predictions
Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur.
Even though we expect a very good game in the opening match, we predict United’s win over Spurs.