Kick-off: 2000, 27/02/2020
Stadium: Old Trafford
TV: BT Sport
Manchester United survived a tricky Europa League test when visiting Club Brugge and are fancied to finish the job off at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils started shakily in Belgium after making six changes, but looked the better team in the second half of that contest and have more scope for improvement.
This should be an open affair, as the visitors must score to progress, so 7/5 for a home win and over 2.5 goals is our initial Man Utd vs Club Brugge prediction.
A Look At Manchester United’s Betting Odds
Emmanuel Dennis got Club Brugge off to a dream start in the first leg after catching the normally-dependable Sergio Romero well out of position.
However, Anthony Martial capitalised on a defensive slip to race clear and level things up via a fine solo effort on a wet and windy night.
“It was a difficult game against a well-organised team in difficult conditions,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“We were a bit sloppy concentration-wise, but the conditions with the pitch and the ball makes it hard.”
Martial was unlucky not to grab a second when Simon Mignolet pushed his shot onto the post just before half-time.
After the interval, United improved when Fred replaced the ineffective Andreas Pereira, while Bruno Fernandes caught the eye with a late cameo.
That game came just three days after a hard-fought 2-0 Premier League triumph at Chelsea, but Solskjaer will hopefully reduce the number of alterations now the Red Devils have more time to recover from Sunday’s 3-0 defeat of Watford.
Fernandes again impressed in that encounter, while Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood made welcome returns from injury and illness respectively.
Martial is the main man up front after netting in three straight fixtures, though, and 11/4 for him to break the deadlock here stands out from the Man Utd vs Club Brugge odds.
A Look At Club Brugge’s Betting Odds
Brugge could easily have been further ahead before Martial pounced on Brandon Mechele’s blunder, so we’re not taking them lightly.
Nigeria international Dennis was a nuisance throughout and it was easy to see why the pacy forward has been linked with several Premier League clubs.
South Africa striker Percy Tau also posed problems up front, Hans Vanaken clearly has talent and head coach Philippe Clement felt his side were unlucky not to prevail on the night.
He stated: “All the circumstances need to go your way if you’re going to beat United and we didn’t get that.”
Brugge are nine points clear in Belgium’s top flight following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Charleroi and don’t forget they drew 2-2 against Real Madrid in Spain in the Champions League this term.
The Blue and Blacks could well grab a consolation goal at Old Trafford, so 25/2 for a 3-1 home win is added to our Man Utd vs Club Brugge betting tips.
Additional stats
First-leg result:
CLUB BRUGGE 1-1 MAN UTD – Emmanuel Dennis + Anthony Martial
Previous head-to-head: Club Brugge 0-4 Man Utd, Man Utd 3-1 Club Brugge
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