Kick Off: 1615, 19/02/2017
Stadium: Ewood Park
TV: BT Sport 2
It is almost 22 years since Blackburn pipped Manchester United to the Premier League title but memories of that rivalry will be rekindled when these teams meet in the FA Cup fifth round at Ewood Park on Sunday.
Rovers will see this as a welcome respite from their Championship relegation battle and manager Owen Coyle described it as an “absolutely brilliant” tie when the draw was made.
A Look At Blackburn’s Betting Odds
Blackburn are second from bottom of the table following Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Sheffield Wednesday but that was another full-blooded performance from Rovers, with Coyle adamant that two disallowed goals should have stood.
Since drawing at Huddersfield and beating Newcastle at the turn of the year, Blackburn have been competitive in every match played and they make full use of their physicality with a direct style of play.
Coyle will be keen to keep spirits up with a positive display against what is expected to be a much-changed United outfit and 21/10 for the home team to win or draw here is a big enough price to tempt us in.
A Look At Manchester United’s Betting Odds
Manchester United are still fighting for success on four fronts after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s hat-trick on Thursday gave them the upper hand in a Europa League tie with St-Etienne, with the Red Devils already through to next Sunday’s EFL Cup final and chasing a top-four finish in the Premier League.
However, that itinerary will force Jose Mourinho to shuffle his pack and, while United have the strength in depth to bring in plenty of experienced internationals and exciting youngsters, Hull highlighted how it is possible to exploit a lack of continuity when prevailing in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan could come in for United after sitting out the St-Etienne clash and appeals at 13/10 to add to his tally of five goals in 12 games, but alterations to the visitors’ back four and a less mobile midfield featuring Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick could play into Blackburn’s hands, so 21/20 for both teams to score is another solid bet.
Additional stats
Last result:
Sheff Wed 2-1 BLACKBURN – Sam Hutchinson (og)
MAN UTD 3-0 St-Etienne – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (3)
Head-to-head: Blackburn 0-2 Man Utd, Man Utd 2-3 Blackburn, Blackburn 1-1 Man Utd, Man Utd 7-1 Blackburn, Blackburn 0-0 Man Utd
