Manchester take on the visitors Fulham in the round 1 match of English Premier League. The match will be played on Friday, August 16th at Old Trafford (Machester).
"Manchester United" remain under the leadership of Erik ten Hag as he begins his third season in charge. However, the previous football year was a time of significant regression. Their return to the Champions League ended in failure – finishing 4th in a group with "Galatasaray" and "Copenhagen" can only be seen as a disaster for such a big club. The same goes for their Premier League campaign, where after talks of a genuine title challenge, the "Red Devils" ended up in 8th place, and wouldn't be playing in Europe at all if they hadn't won the cup in the last match of the season. But did that result create a false sense of security? After letting Varane and Kambwala go, they spent huge money on Yorro – only for the teenager to get injured. As a result, with Lindelöf, Maguire, and others injured, there is a gaping hole in defense. They only patched it at the last minute by reaching agreements with "Bayern" for both de Ligt and Mazraoui. Zirkzee is promising, but with Højlund injured, Rashford's inconsistent form, and Martial's departure, he's the only forward left. Is that enough to compete for anything this season? They played the Super Cup, and judging by the scoreline, they were equal, but...
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"Fulham" is a typical "coach's" team. The "Cottagers" are completely built around Marco Silva now. The Portuguese manager has full autonomy, though he also seems to ignore the rumors about which big clubs are interested in him. For now, he's earning his stripes in London. He took over a typical "yo-yo" team, which couldn't stay in the Premier League for more than a season or two. Under him, "Fulham" not only confidently won the Championship but also collected enough points in the Premier League that any talk of a relegation fight was about European qualification instead, albeit theoretically. The next cycle, 2023/2024, brought more modest results. But they still finished comfortably clear of the danger zone, and the departure of Mitrović, their key scorer, wasn't a catastrophe. Now, the challenge is to replace Palhinha, who finally left for "Bayern." The money earned from his sale allowed them to set a club record by buying Smith Rowe from "Arsenal," but Emile is not suited for a defensive midfield role. Nor is the other summer signing, Cuenca, the defender from "Villarreal." And how could we not mention the return of Sessegnon? Ryan didn't find success at "Tottenham," but he's still only 24.
Their last meeting, in February, brought "Fulham" their first victory in a decade and a half. Usually, United dominated these encounters. The "Red Devils," especially at home, are the clear favorites. However, they face a tough opponent, and it's too early to expect major improvements in defense. We're betting on "both teams to score."
Prediction for the match: Both teams to score – yes.
