Southampton vs Man Utd – Depleted defence set for tough test
Published:They may be unbeaten in the Premier League, but Manchester United head to Southampton on Saturday devoid of four key first-team defenders.
Edwin Van Der Sar, Rafael, Patrice Evra are definitely out and Rio Ferdinand is a doubt as the league one side look to cause a famous FA Cup upset.
Match Odds
Southampton are temptingly priced at 7/1 to beat a depleted Man Utd, however the statistics suggest that the Saints will struggle.
Southampton are winless in seven home FA Cup matches with the Red Devils and there only FA Cup victory came in the 1976 FA Cup final.
Considering Man Utd have lost just one of their last 14 ties away from home, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side look a strong bet to progress and are available at 2/5 to win.
Total Goals
Southampton’s home form has been strong and they are yet to concede a goal in the FA Cup which suggests the 6/5 for under 2.5 goals is a strong fancy.
If Southampton are to win, it will be by the slimmest of margins and they are 14/1 to win 1-0.
Wayne Rooney’s continued problems in front of goal could mean a start for Javier Hernandez alongside Dimitar Berbatov and the two strikers are 3/1 and 5/2 respectively to score first.
But 19 of Berbatov’s 20 goals this season have come in the league and Ryan Giggs, who continues to astound all with his high performance levels, is 7/4 to score any time and Man Utd are 5/1 to win 2-0.
Southampton have failed to score in 8 of their 20 home games this season and Man Utd’s defensive deputies should be able to keep the League One side from scoring and Man Utd are 5/4 to keep a clean sheet and 13/8 to win to nil.
A £10 stake on Hernandez scoring first and Man Utd winning 2-0 would return £140. New customers can sign up here for a free bet worth £25.
