Football
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace Preview: Tips, Odds and Prediction
Date: February 2, 2025 Kickoff Time: 15:00 Local Time (17:00 ET/07:00PT) Venue: Old Trafford A win and a loss respectively for either team in their previous Premier League encounter means both come into this game with differing interests. United will be looking to maintain form under the new manager Ruben Amorim, while Crystal Palace will be looking to recover from a crushing 2-1 defeat at home to Brentford in the preceding weekend. SportsBoom’s preview goes into detail on several aspects of the game such as head-to-head records, betting odds and tips for betters looking for Premier League betting insights.
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Crystal Palace FC v Manchester United FC - Premier League//Getty Images
An assumption would be that Manchester United have bossed this encounter, but that is not the case having last beaten Palace in 2023.
Their luck has not gotten any better since then in the Premier League and they are having it just as bad under the new manager, hovering just above the relegation zone at some point.
United won against Fulham in their last game and will be looking for another positive result against a Palace team that will also be hoping to overturn their 2-1 loss to Brentford.
In positions twelve and thirteen respectively, not much separate United and their visitors heading into the weekend.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Home: 11/10 (2.10) 47.6%
Draw: 12/5 (3.40%) 29.4%
Away: 51/20 (3.55) 28.2%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change
Head-to-Head record
Crystal Palace have held their own against Manchester United in recent years, with a better record over them, of two wins in five compared to United’s solitary win. The last time out, in the initial stages of this season, both sides played out to a goalless draw, and United were still under the guidance of Erik ten Hag.
Last 5 Meetings
21/09/24: Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United
06/05/24: Crystal Palace 4-0 Manchester United
30/09/23: Manchester United 0-1 Crystal Palace
04/02/23: Manchester United 2-1 Crystal Palace
18/01/23: Crystal Palace 1-1 Manchester United
Manchester United Current Form – WLWDL
Poor form and a divided dressing room with one of the key players exiled from the team shows that Amorim’s start to life at Old Trafford has not been easy. Their win over Fulham at least eased the pressure after a humiliating 3-1 loss to Brighton.
At the time of writing, United have more losses to their name in the Premier League than wins. Ten losses in twenty-three matches with only twenty-eight goals, points to a struggle in the team, one that will take time to overturn, and Crystal Palace will not make it easy for them.
Lisandro Martinez and Jean-Philippe Mateta//Getty Images
Key Players to Watch
- Lisandro Martinez: Scored the winning goal in their win against Fulham and was their best player on the pitch, Martinez is one of the few players who fits well into Amorim’s tactical approach.
- Rasmus Hojlund: With Zirkzee misfiring, Rasmus Hojlund is United’s most lethal forward and all he needs to do is find a rich vein of form.
- Diogo Dalot: Another one that understands what is expected from the coach, Diogo Dalot plays a good fullback role for United and will be key with runs down the right.
Manchester United Team News
Five key players will be sidelined with various injuries. The likes of Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, plus long-term absentees such as Victor Lindelof are names we should not expect to see on United’s team sheet.
Crystal Place Current Form – LWWDW
Following a green patch that had two consecutive wins over West Ham and Leicester City, Palace dropped the ball against Brentford.
They had not conceded in those two games prior to the loss, and overall, in five Premier League games, they have only conceded three times.
A good defense, like has been recently will help them against a United side that is struggling for goals.
Key Players to Watch
- Marc Guehi: A goal-scoring defender with three goals so far this season, Marc Guehi is a player to look out for on the day. He also has an assist to his name, another important dimension to his game.
- Ismaila Sarr: Four goals so far to his name playing behind the target man Mateta, Ismail Sarr’s creative dynamism will prove key for his team. He also has three assists to his name and such contributions are what the frontman will need to help his team beat United.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta: Their top goal scorer so far, we predict Jean-Philippe Mateta to have a good run out against a defense that has not done well and is prone to mistakes.
Crystal Palace Team News
Adam Wharton is expected to return to full fitness on February 15th, while Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are nursing knocks to their knees.
Predicted Line-ups
Manchester United: 3-4-2-1
Onana, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Mazzraoui, Diallo, Garnacho, Hojlund
Crystal Palace: 3-4-2-1
Henderson, Guehi, Lacroix, Richards, Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell, Eze, Sarr, Mateta
Suggested Bets
There is no clear favourite in this match, we therefore went for suggested bets that are conservative in nature and bear minimum risk.
Match Result – Double Chance Manchester United/Crystal Palace: Despite the bookies backing United, our assessment of both teams does not point out any outright winner, therefore, a double chance on either team winning is a probability we think is likely to happen. (31/100 with BC.Game).
Both Teams to Score – No: Both are low-scoring teams and conservative in their approaches, especially after scoring. None will open up after that factor and based off that rationale, chances of both teams scoring are exceptionally low. (117/100 with Betway).
Manchester United Draw No bet – Yes: Just in case you are backing United for a win but are in doubt, a draw no bet market is the most viable option you can go for. (51/100 with Betway)
Value Bets
Both teams are struggling for goals currently, so we aligned our value bets with that fact. Have a look and pick your favourite.
Match Result and Total Goals – Manchester United and Under 2.5: All indications are that there is no clear favourite, but we will tip Manchester United to win because of their home ground advantage. But there will not be more than two goals in the game. (18/5 with N1Bet).
First Goal Scorer – Rasmus Hojlund: If United come out the blocks shooting on all cylinders as the home team, the chances of Hojlund scoring the first goal are thus high. (26/5 with Stake).
Winning Margin – Manchester United by One: Once more, a win for Manchester United despite our assessments above, will not be achieved by more than two goals. Amorim will play it safe on the day. (3/1 with Betway).
Prediction: Draw
Our prediction is that neither team will want to give away much and a draw will thus be a favourable result, something like the first-round encounter. The best result for either team looking at everything that is at play. (51/20 with N1Bet).
Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jimmy holds a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies. He’s a passionate sports enthusiast with broad knowledge across various disciplines.
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