Manchester United take on the visitors Leicester in the 1/16-finals of English FA Cup. The match will be played on Friday, February 7th at Old Trafford (Manchester).
Manchester United is experiencing one of the worst seasons in its history. The Red Devils had the chance to hit the reset button with a new managerial appointment last summer—no one would have been surprised if Erik ten Hag was sacked after the club's disastrous Champions League return and an 8th-place finish in the Premier League. But somehow, the FA Cup victory wiped the slate clean, and Erik even received solid reinforcements in the transfer window. However, he botched the start of the new season so badly that he was dismissed by autumn. Unfortunately, Ruben Amorim proved to be a poor firefighter, struggling to adapt to English football. While United managed to show some improvement in the Europa League, they crashed out of the Carabao Cup to a struggling Tottenham side. In the Premier League, they continue to languish in the lower half of the table. Their last match saw them lose 0-2 at home to Crystal Palace. No one expected them to go far in the FA Cup, but Arsenal, despite playing with a man advantage after Dalot's red card, squandered all their chances, allowing the Red Devils to advance on penalties. With inconsistency plaguing both defense and attack, United's struggles show no signs of letting up in domestic competitions.
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Leicester City, arguably the most sensational champions of recent decades, had already experienced relegation from the Premier League as recently as 2023. Back then, the appointment of Enzo Maresca worked wonders, as he guided the team to a Championship title with games to spare. However, Maresca was lured to Chelsea in the summer, and the club failed to replicate that success with his replacement. Steve Cooper tried to steady the ship but was sacked by autumn after a string of poor results. Ruud van Nistelrooy began his tenure with a win over West Ham and followed that up with a dramatic comeback from 0-2 to draw against Brighton in the final minutes. However, aside from a 6-2 thrashing of QPR in the cup, defeats have been the norm for Van Nistelrooy's side. Even crisis-hit Tottenham took the lead against them, though Vardy and company managed a gritty 2-1 comeback win against their injury-depleted rivals. Yet, they followed that up with a crushing 0-4 loss to Everton. Leicester's defensive issues and lack of consistency have left them teetering dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Manchester United has won all four of their most recent meetings with Leicester. This season alone, they defeated the Foxes 5-2 in the Carabao Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League. Even in their current form, United should have no trouble overcoming an opponent like Leicester. Back the home side to win with a -1.5 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Manchester United to win with -1.5 handicap.
