Manchester Utd vs Fulham Prediction: 16/8/2024

Last season, Manchester United underperformed, finishing 8th in the league, but they salvaged their season by winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City 2-1, earning them a spot in the Europa League. The Red Devils ended the season on a positive note with victories against Newcastle (3-2) and Brighton (2-1), following concerning losses to Crystal Palace (4-0) and Arsenal (1-0).

Their summer preparations began poorly with a defeat to Rosenborg (1-0) but improved with wins over Glasgow Rangers (2-0), Arsenal (2-1), and Betis (3-2). Before the league kicks off, they will face Liverpool and Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Fulham, on the other hand, had a mixed season, finishing 13th in the Premier League, which was disappointing considering they had finished 10th in their previous campaign. Despite reaching the semifinals of the EFL Cup, they were knocked out in the FA Cup’s Round of 16.

With safety already secured towards the end of the season, Fulham drew with Crystal Palace (1-1) and Brentford (0-0), lost heavily to champions Manchester City (4-0), and ended on a high note with a 4-2 victory over relegated Luton. This summer, Fulham will face Benfica, Sevilla, and Hoffenheim as they prepare for the upcoming season.

For Manchester United, Malacia is expected to miss the start of the season due to a knee injury, and new French signing Lenny Yoro is also sidelined after suffering a broken foot shortly after joining from Lille. Players returning from loan, such as Pellistri, Hannibal, and Sancho, will add depth to the squad, while Greenwood has permanently moved to Marseille. The club made a significant addition by signing Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for over €40 million. They will rely on key players from last season, like Bruno Fernandes (10 goals, 8 assists in the Premier League), young talent Kobbie Mainoo (3 goals), and striker Rasmus Højlund (10 goals).

Much is expected from Marcus Rashford, who had a disappointing season with only 7 goals and 2 assists in 33 matches, compared to 17 goals the previous year. Departures include French players Anthony Martial (free transfer) and Raphaël Varane (Como), as well as youngsters Willy Kambwala (Villarreal) and Álvaro Fernández Carreras (Benfica).

Fulham, meanwhile, have no major injuries but have seen some significant departures, which could destabilize their squad. Following Mitrovic’s departure last year, key midfielder João Palhinha has left for Bayern Munich. To compensate, Lukic and Andreas Pereira are expected to step up in midfield, while center-back Tosin Adarabioyo has moved to Chelsea.

Fulham brought in Ryan Sessegnon from Tottenham, and Carlos Vinícius and Kevin Mbabu have returned from loan spells. The defense, featuring players like Issa Diop, Calvin Bassey, and full-backs Kenny Tete, Timothy Castagne, and Antonee Robinson, appears solid, but the attack, despite having Willian, Alex Iwobi, Raúl Jiménez, Rodrigo Muniz, and Harry Wilson, lacks star power on paper.

 

Prediction

Although Fulham has started the season strongly with plenty of goals, their recent Premier League matches have mostly featured fewer than three goals, which has also been a trend in Manchester United’s home games. A low-scoring draw is likely.

Prediction: Manchester United 1 : 1 Fulham