The UEFA Champions League group phase will close down this week with the Round 6 matches, and in this preview, we’ll take a closer look at the Group A clash set for Tuesday, December 5th, 2017, when Manchester United welcomes CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford.
Down below you will find some interesting betting picks and predictions, so don’t waste your time and join the action here on GetMoreSports.
MANCHESTER UNITED vs. CSKA MOSCOW
3-Way: 1: Manchester United -213; X: +409 Draw; 2: CSKA Moscow +775 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Manchester United -130; CSKA Moscow +131
Total +2.5: Over -110; Under +120
MANCHESTER UNITED
The Red Devils need one more points to secure the first spot of the UEFA Champions League Group A table, and they will certainly qualify for the knockout phase if they avoid a four-goal defeat against CSKA Moscow in the sixth round match at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. Likewise, if Basel fails to get a win against Benfica on the road, The Red Devils will secure the next round, and they will clinch the first spot if they don’t allow CSKA Moscow to get a four-goal margin win. In the first match between these two teams Manchester United hammered CSKA Moscow at VEB arena, 4:1, having a 3:0 lead after just 27 minutes of the game.
After the first five rounds of the UEFA Champions League group stage, Manchester United is topping the Group A table with 12 points, a 10:2 goal difference, and a 4-0-1 record. They have won four matches in a row before they were beaten by Basel on the road, 1:0, in the previous round. The Red Devils needed at least a draw to secure the next round, but in the 89th minute of the game, Michael Lang scored the winning goal for the home side. Manchester United had a ball on their feet for 62% of the time, and they took 15 shots toward Tomas Vaclik’s goal, still failing to find the net for the first time this season in the UEFA Champions League.
In the English Premier League The Red Devils are sitting at the second spot of the table 35 points and a 35:9 goal difference after the first 15 rounds, and on the next weekend they will play a huge derby with Manchester City at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are eight points behind their city rival, and they have to get a positive result, so maybe Jose Mourinho will mix his starting line up on Tuesday evening when they face CSKA Moscow. Manchester United was perfect on the home soil this season, as they won all ten games in front of the home fans in all competitions, keeping their net intact on eight occasions.
Since a 1:0 defeat against Basel in the previous round of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United has won three matches in a row in the English Premier League. They have beaten Brighton at Old Trafford, 1:0, and Watford on the road, 4:2, before they’ve recorded a brilliant 3:1 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium last Saturday. After just 11 minutes of the match, The Red Devils had a 2:0 lead and even Arsenal took 33 shots toward David de Gea’s goal, Manchester United earned a well-deserved victory in the end. The visitors took only eight shots on goal, and they had a ball on their feet for just 25% of the time, but they had a clear mission and a tremendous David de Gea between the sticks. The 27-year old goalkeeper had 14 saves, and some of them were truly amazing, while only Alexandre Lacazette managed to put the ball behind his back.
The 24-year old Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is the team’s leading scorer this season with 12 goals in 22 appearances in all competitions, while he scored three goals in five Champions League matches. The 21-year old French winger Anthony Martial bagged eight goals in 21 apps this season, adding seven assists to his name, and he is a team’s best assist-maker along with the 20-year old forward Marcus Rashford who also scored seven goals in 23 matches thus far. The 24-year old French star Paul Pogba played in just 11 games this season, scoring three goals and making five dishes.
The manager Jose Mourinho can count on all players for the next match against CSKA Moscow, besides the experienced midfielder Michael Carrick who’s sidelined due to a calf injury.
CSKA MOSCOW
The Horses will travel to Manchester with only one thing on their mind – how to beat The Red Devils at Old Trafford. CSKA Moscow could qualify for the next round, but they need to earn more points against Manchester United than Basel against Benfica at Estadio da Luz because the Swiss side has a better H2H record. If CSKA Moscow earns a four-goal margin victory, they will surely qualify for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, but this sounds like a mission impossible, especially after a 4:1 defeat in the first match at VEB Arena. The Russian side secured the third spot of the Group A, and they will play at least in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 in spring.
CSKA Moscow is unbeaten in the previous six games in all competitions, including a convincing 2:0 victory over Benfica at home in the UEFA Champions League Round 5. In the Russian Premier League The Horses are laying at the third spot of the table after the first 19 rounds with 35 points and a 28:14 goal difference, seven points behind the leader Lokomotiv Moscow. The Horses have humiliated Tosno at home, 6:0, in the previous round of their domestic championship, and it could be a huge boost before they face a heavyweight Manchester United this Tuesday.
The 24-year old Brazilian forward Vitinho is the team’s leading scorer with eight goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season. The 31-year old defensive midfielder Pontus Wernbloom bagged six goals in 26 matches, while midfielders Alan Dzagoev and Bibras Natcho scored five goals each thus far. Alan Dzagoev is the team’s best assist-maker with seven dishes in 23 appearances, while Vitinho added six dishes to his name. The 26-year old left-back Georgi Schennikov is another key player in CSKA Moscow’s squad, and he added four goals and one assist to his account in 23 appearances so far.
The manager Viktor Goncharenko will have some serious problems to field his best eleven against Manchester United, as Georgi Schennikov (malleolar injury), the centre-back Aleksey Berezutski (fracture of the fibula), and the midfielder Georgi Milanov (fibula) are all listed as unavailable.
MANCHESTER UNITED vs. CSKA MOSCOW – Match Prediction
The visitors desperately need a win in this one, and they will still wait for some good news from Lisbon. However, Manchester United is a better team and Jose Mourinho is a specialist for tactical games, so I think they will get three points on Tuesday night. If the home side takes a lead, which is expected, The Horses will have to attack, so I’ll go with the over in this clash.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-110)
