As we enter the final day of the 19/20 Premier League campaign, the race for the Champions League places is still ongoing. Three contenders are currently battling it out for the two remaining spots, which means that one of Chelsea, Manchester United or Leicester City will miss out on Europe’s premier club competition next season. With an intriguing final day of the campaign edging closer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United side will be preparing to face off against Brendan Rodgers’ high-flying Leicester City.
The Red Devils are coming into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against West Ham United, a match where the Mancunians just never seemed to get going. It took one moment of brilliance from Mason Greenwood in the second half to find their only goal of the night. Leicester City, on the other hand, were thoroughly out-played by the tactical masterclass of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager’s Spurs team dismantled the Foxes by a 3-0 scoreline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There are multiple permutations in play for the final day, but a win for either side will be enough to secure Champions League football.
Here Is The Leicester City Vs Manchester United Tactical Preview:
Leicester City Vs Manchester United Tactical Preview
Talking Tactics
Leicester City
The Foxes’ display against Tottenham last time out was far from their worst performance of the season, but some solid defending by the Spurs’ back-line, added to an apparent lack of cutting edge in the Leicester attack, meant that they never really looked like finding the net. Despite having 18 shots over the ninety, they failed to finish off a single chance, and a similar trend against United could spell trouble. Rodgers is likely to ask his players to stick to their free-flowing style of football, with an emphasis on counter-attacking quickly.
Manchester United
The manner in which the Manchester United front-line resumed their season left even the most pessimistic of fans hoping for more. Although the combination play by Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, and the striking abilities of Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial, were headed in the right direction, the last couple of outings has thrown light on the situation. Solskjaer though is likely to stick to his guns in terms of attacking personnel, but with an added onus on getting off to an energetic start and putting the home side on the back-foot right from the off.
Team News
Leicester City
The Foxes currently have what is probably the worst-hit squad in the entire division in terms of injuries. First-choice full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell have both been ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Caglar Soyunçu’s recent sending off means that he remains suspended as well. James Maddison had arguably been the Midlands club’s best player during the first-half of the season, but the Englishman has now been ruled out of this tie too.
Predicted Lineup: Schmeichel; Bennett, Morgan, Evans; Justin, Ndidi, Praet, Thomas; Perez, Vardy, Iheanacho
Manchester United
When compared to Leicester City, United have what can pretty much be branded a full-strength squad for Solskjaer to choose from on Sunday evening. Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are the only two names who have been ruled out of contention. Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly are both set to face late fitness tests, and given the importance of the match at hand, the former could potentially be brought back into the side for this encounter.
Predicted Lineup: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw; Matic, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Key Men
Leicester City
With everything that’s riding on this fixture, it would be silly to suggest that anyone other than Jamie Vardy is the most important player for the Leicester City side. The forward has the experience and quality required to step up to the plate when his team needs him the absolute most.
Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes’ performances over the last three fixtures across all competitions have been no better than average. It’s absolutely vital for United going into this tie that the Portuguese sensation performs at his usual best, as when he goes quiet, the entire United attack-line just seems to suffer.
