These two teams met at Old Trafford on Monday night in the last of the FA Cup third round ties. Manchester United came away with a narrow, 1-0 victory and were certainly pushed hard by Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa.
On Saturday, Villa and United meet in the Premier League (5.30pm; TV: Live on Sky Sports). They have switched venues and, with Ralf Rangnick’s team now conceding home advantage, can we expect to see a different result? Read on for our full match preview and betting tips.
Manchester United remain favourites but there are odds against figures on all three possible outcomes. The Red Devils start things off at best odds of 29/20 while victory for Aston Villa is next at 2/1. The result betting is completed by the draw and there will be some interest in a share of the points at an industry best of 13/5.
We know that Manchester United have seen mixed results across the season and the performances have remained inconsistent since Rangnick arrived as the club’s interim manager. Prior to the narrow win on Monday night, Man Utd went down 1-0 at home to Wolves a week earlier.
Aston Villa also replaced their man in the dugout mid-season but new boss Steven Gerrard has not been able to lift the club from their lower mid-table position. Villa are 14th in the league and, over the last six matches, they are 15th in the form table.
In contrast, United have returned the third-best performances in the Premier League over the course of those previous six games. Based on form, it’s edging towards Manchester United but it should certainly be as tight as that result market suggests.
First goalscorer betting shows Cristiano Ronaldo in front with most bookmakers offering 7/2 on CR7 to open the scoring. Edinson Cavani is next at 9/2 while Aston Villa’s Danny Ings follows at 6/1.
One man who seems to have paid a price for Manchester United’s mixed form is Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international was prolific at the start of his Old Trafford career but has been dropped to the bench in recent weeks. Fernandes is quoted at 13/2 to find the net first or he can be claimed at 5/2 for an anytime goal in 90 minutes.
In our regular team bets markets, Both Teams to Score can be found at an average of around 4/6. Only one side found the net in the Cup Tie on Monday night so you may want to consider taking the ‘no’ option on BTTS at a general 6/5.
As for Total Combined Goals, a stake Over the 2.5 line will currently be met with best odds of 9/10. By moving that up one place, we can get a top price of 9/4 to go Above 3.5 goals. If, however, you feel that this will be another tight, low scoring contest, you can consider betting Under the 2.5 goal line for best odds of Even Money.
That leaves us with a regular look at some Correct Score options and a repeat of Monday’s 1-0 win for Manchester United is on offer at a general 8/1. A 2-1 away win could attract interest at 9/1 while the same scoreline in favour of Aston Villa is listed at a best of 11/1.
Alternatively, if you’re backing a share of the points, a 1-1 final scoreline could be the way to go at a top price of 13/2.
Our Preview’s AVFC vs MUFC Betting Tips Verdict
Having witnessed Manchester United’s subdued display at home to Wolves at the start of the year, many would be surprised to see them near the top of the form table. Thirteen points from the last six games suggests that Ralf Rangnick is on the right track, even if there is work still to be done.
A tight contest in the FA Cup this week might, however, suggest that Aston Villa have a chance of claiming a positive result and this is a tight one to call.
Based on that overall form guide, which shows little improvement in the Villa camp, this preview will take the away win this time. Manager Gerrard is still looking for new signings so he clearly isn’t happy, while United are largely settled and are building steadily under their new boss.
For those reasons, we’ll take the away win in a tight contest. One man who can make the difference is Bruno Fernandes: He may have been subdued since the arrival of his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo but he hasn’t become a bad player overnight.
If given the opportunity to make a contribution, we suspect he is ready to prove a point and Fernandes looks generous at those 5/2 odds for a goal at any time. So these are the betting tips for this AVFC vs MUFC preview, at best odds:
- Manchester United to win at 29/20 with Betfair.
- Bruno Fernandes to score at any time at 5/2 with BetVictor.
Matt Harris is a football & golf writer for Just Bookies. Other sports in his portfolio of specialities include cricket. Matt has contributed to innumerable large organisations and media brands. These include: Betfair, BetVictor, USA Betting & Unibet. 