Huddersfield v Manchester United Preview, Stats and Betting Tips, Saturday 17th February 2018, FA Cup Fifth Round

When Manchester United visited the John Smith’s Stadium in October, all the talk was about how long Jose Mourinho’s team could maintain their unbeaten record. The answer, it turned out, was not much longer. Huddersfield were full value for their 2-1 win on the day and on the back of a thumping 4-1 win over Bournemouth, David Wagner’s men have another chance to get the better of United at home in their FA Cup clash early on Saturday evening.

Huddersfield v Manchester United Head to Head Record

  • Man Utd 2-0 Huddersfield – 3rd February 2018, Premier League
  • Huddersfield 2-1 Man Utd – 21st October 2018, Premier League
  • Man Utd 2-0 Huddersfield – 11th March 1972, Division One
  • Huddersfield 0-3 Man Utd – 9th October 1971, Division One
  • Huddersfield 2-1 Man Utd – 30th January, 1971, Division One

Huddersfield v Manchester United Preview

The win over Man Utd in October will go down as the highlight of the season for most Huddersfield fans no matter what happens. But it was the win over Bournemouth that could prove the most important.

That 4-1 victory ended a run of eight league games without a win for the Terriers. Their alarming run of form had seen them slip into the relegation zone and led some panicked fans to question David Wagner’s suitability to lead a fight against the drop. With confidence now restored, Huddersfield have a better chance of staying in the top flight, but will that prove problematic on Saturday?

Huddersfield must prioritise their top flight status over everything else. In contrast, the FA Cup has taken on extra importance for Jose Mourinho and Man Utd. Man City have already won the Premier League title bar the shouting, United have only the slimmest chance of Champions League glory and they were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Bristol City.

Mourinho may have signed a new contract but some fans and pundits are questioning what he’s done to deserve that. The Portuguese has always taken cup competitions seriously and he knows the value of a big day out at Wembley both for the club and for his own position. The FA Cup represents a chance for this season to be painted as a success in the same way that Man Utd’s EFL Cup and Europa League wins did during the last campaign.

While Huddersfield may rotate, United will put out a strong team and should be as comfortable as they were when beating Huddersfield 2-0 at Old Trafford just a couple of weeks ago.

Relevant Stats, Injuries and Suspensions

Huddersfield will have to do without their talismanic midfielder, Aaron Mooy, after he suffered a nasty gash to his knee against Bournemouth. Elias Kachunga is also out injured so David Wager will hope to rely on Steve Mounié and Laurent Depoitre up front who were very good against Bournemouth.

Both Mounié and Depoitre are popualr with the crowd at the John Smith’s Stadium but they need even more from their joint top scorers. Before putting four past Bournemouth, Huddersfield had scored just three goals in eight Premier League games. That sort of return will always leave you in trouble at the foot of the table, especially when you’re conceding goals at the rate Huddersfield are.

Stoke are the only team who have conceded more goals than Huddersfield in the Premier League this season. Compare that to Man Utd who have the best defence with just 19 goals conceded and you see why the away team are the favourites.

The one positive area for Huddersfield is the injury to Eric Bailly. He is Man Utd’s best defender and the partnership of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones hasn’t exactly convinced in Bailly’s absence. Mourinho is also without Marcus Rashford, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Huddersfield v Manchester United Tips

The bookies clearly understand the importance of this match to Man Utd. They’ve installed the away side as the odds on favourites across the board. Although Mourinho’s men should get the win, there’s no too much to get excited about a general price of 2/5. A better option could well be the 5/4 that Ladbrokes are quoting on Man Utd winning to nil. Huddersfield’s recent problems in front of goal could cost them again while the United defence is in need of a shut out.

Other tempting options include under 2.5 goals which is 21/10 with BetVictor and the Man Utd/Man Utd selection in Coral’s half time/full time market at 6/5.

Finally, back Jesse Lingard to score first at 5/1 with Betfair. The 25-year-old seems to have found a home in the number 10 role and has become an important player for Mourinho. Expect him to stake a claim for a place in the England squad with another eye catching performance.

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