Manchester United vs Southampton for Premier League 2016 Match Preview: Yoshida Warns Against a Loss; Preview, Analysis and TV Schedule Revealed
Manchester United will take on Southampton on August 19, Friday. It would mark the first Friday Night Football of the Premier League Season. Manchester will also step into the stadium as a heavy favorite to win over Southampton who showed a not so impressive start, drawing against Watford during the weekend clash.
Previous clashes
To recall, Manchester United is fresh off a victory over Bournemouth even without Paul Pogba who was suffering from a suspension carried over from Serie A with Juventus. Jose Mourinho's men brushed aside the competition since half-time lead, courtesy of Juan Mata's goal. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney also pressured Bournemouth into a defensive position. The match is also Ibrahimovic's first match with the United.
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Meanwhile, the weekend match exposed some opportunities that Southampton can take advantage of. For one, a see saw performance during the first half as well as several chances for Manchester was seen but Bournemouth showed that these can easily be defended by capable teams. Come Friday, Ham can fence Ibrahimovic to avoid getting culled early.
Upcoming brawls set to ablaze
On the other side, Southampton FC is in not for a fight but fright night this Friday if they cannot pull something out of their sleeves. Remember that the squad is coming in as a huge underdog in the match after a heartbreaking draw against Watford in their home turf. It was also a surprising outcome when the visitors managed to easily dispatch them with just a 10-man roster that night.
The best hope for Southampton is to take Maya Yoshida's wake up call to avoid a massacre in the hands of the United. Changes should be made into the way Ham is playing. Yoshida believes that the only missing link is the confidence level of the team which has proved effective like the last season.
Yoshida added that the current scenario is bad for the overall mood of the squad, unlike a great opener in the previous season where they managed a 1-0 against Trafford. He also stated that Southampton should recall every tactic that Mourinho will employ and counter them with confidence of success.
Meanwhile, for soccer fans who want to catch this match, kick-off for Manchester United versus Southampton will be 8 p.m. this Friday at Old Trafford. TV coverage is to be provided by Sky Sports starting an hour and a half earlier at 5:30 p.m.
Now for the odds maker, Man United will come in a heavy favorite with 4/9 as opposed to Southampton's 11/2, while there is a 3/1 chances for the match ending in a draw.
