Manchester United will look to bounce back from derby defeat at the weekend as they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Wednesday night in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United’s stuttering start to the Premier League continued at the weekend, as they would lose 0-1 at home to city-rivals Manchester City despite having a man advantage from the 23rd minute onwards – on an afternoon I successfully backed Erling Haaland to Score anytime at 4/5.
The Red Devils have now picked up just four points across their opening four Premier League fixtures this campaign, with their solitary success coming in a 5-2 win over newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Brighton, on the other hand, will head to Old Trafford full of confidence thanks to their five-star showing away at Coventry City at the weekend.
That win has propelled Fabian Hurzeler’s men up into fifth in the Premier League table, three points clear of their hosts.
How the bookies view it: United favourites
Despite suffering contrasting fortunes at the weekend, it’s still Manchester United that are favourites to progress to the fourth round, with bet365 pricing the Red Devils at just 4/9 To Qualify, whilst the win inside 90 minutes is 4/5.
Brighton are 13/8 to advance to the next round, whilst the win inside regulation time is priced at 31/10.
Head to head: More cup success for the Seagulls?
Manchester United did the double over Brighton in the Premier League last season, winning 4-2 at Old Trafford, before winning 0-3 at the AMEX on the final day of the campaign.
However, the seagulls knocked United out of the third round of the FA Cup at the turn of the year thanks to a 1-2 victory at Old Trafford.
Players to watch: Back Bryan to trouble the Seagulls again
Bryan Mbuemo found the back of the net in both Premier League meetings with the Seagulls last season, scoring three goals.
The Cameroonian attacker already has a couple of goals and an assist to his name across his last four appearances for the Red Devils, and he is an appealing 10/11 at bet365 to Score or Assist on Wednesday night.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Predicted line-ups:
Manchester United will still miss the injured Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo, while Luke Shaw is a doubt.
Brighton have a growing injury list that includes Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Yankuba Minteh, Jack Hinshelwood, Mats Wieffer and Stefano Tzimas, while Georginio Rutter and Femi Azeez are doubts.
Manchester United: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Dorgu, Mainoo, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha, Sesko
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Boscagli, Vuskovic, Dunk, Kadioglu, Gross, Ayari, Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper, Kostoulas
Anything else catch the eye?
Both of these clubs are known for their inconsistency, so I’m happy to swerve the WDW markets and just back goals, with Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals paying 8/11 at bet365.
Brighton’s last five matches in all competitions have produced an eye-catching 22 goals, whilst United’s last three before their Manchester derby defeat saw 15 goals.
What’s more, Over 2.5 Goals has paid out in each of the last five meetings between these two clubs, with both teams also scoring in four (80%) of them, which only adds to the appeal.
Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion Betting Tips & Predictions
Further Reading
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