As Manchester United gear up to face Barnsley in the EFL Cup, both teams find themselves in contrasting form.
United have had a mixed start to the season, winning two of their first five matches and struggling for consistency. The six points against Fulham and Southampton were obligatory but the Red Devils had to take something from Liverpool and Brighton.
On the other end, Barnsley come into this fixture on the back of a positive start in League One. The Tykes most recently lost 3-0 to Stevenage but they remain in contention of the playoff zone and had won three in a row before that.
Barnsley also took out Sheffield United in the previous round, which should bring some confidence to the young squad. Manchester United undoubtedly regained some of that after playing a perfect match against Southampton. Erik Ten Hag will make serious rotations but keep a solid core to secure a positive result in this 1/16 final.
How the bookies view it: Easy GGMU
You already knew that Man Utd would be a massive betting favourite. You will not find any valuable odds anywhere as the highest seem to be Bet365's 3/10. Alternatively, Betfred price Barnsley's chances at 17/2, while the draw is currently 9/2.
Recent head to head: No goals for Barnsley
The reality about this fixture is that there has been no recent H2H. The teams last met in this exact competition but in 2009. Overall, Manchester United have played Barnsley three times in their history, winning all games to nil. The combined goal difference since the first occasion in 1997 is 11-0.
Players to watch: Garnacho B2B
Based on Erik Ten Hag’s recent tactics, we expect to see a full match for Alejandro Garnacho. Arguably the best winger in the team right now, Garnacho has been given only 175 minutes in five fixtures this season and he even came on and scored against Southampton on Saturday. We expect to see a good number of youth players and some seniors on the squad, including Garnacho.
Probable line-ups
Manchester United: Onana, Amass, Evans, Maguire, Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte, Garnacho, Collyer, Antony, Zirkzee
Barnsley: Slonina, Gevigney, Pines, Roberts, Cotter, Connell, Craig, Earl, Phillips, Cosgrove, Watters
Anything else catch the eye?
On paper, this should be a walk in the park for Manchester United. The Red Devils have performed extraordinary in Cup tournaments in recent years. They won this competition a couple of seasons ago, and then the FA Cup last season.
However, do not overspend on this fixture as this is still United. We do not expect a heavy beating in this one but a scoreline in the range of 2-0/3-0. Andre Onana should be able to keep a second clean sheet in a row.
As previously mentioned, monitor the latest squad news and consider Alejandro Garnacho for a goalscorer bet if he appears among the starters. Otherwise, Zirkzee has to make it up to fans after missing several clear opportunities in the last couple of games. His link-up play is elite and he moves very well but he has to start scoring and this could be the perfect match to build some confidence.
This EFL Cup match between Manchester United and Barnsley will be played on Sep 17, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester United vs Barnsley prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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