The remaining second legs of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 are scheduled over this midweek, and one of the most interesting matches is set for Tuesday, March 13th, 2018, when Manchester United hosts Sevilla at Old Trafford after a nil-nil draw in the first leg in Spain. The bookmakers favor the hosts at -170 to win the clash, although Sevilla played very well in the first leg three weeks ago, while the markets on Over/Under 2.5 Goals are set at -105/-115, so let’s see what can we expect from these two teams here.
Manchester United vs. Sevilla
3-Way: 1: Manchester United -170; X: +290 Draw; 2: Sevilla +540 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total +2.5: Over -105; Under -115
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: -100/-120
MANCHESTER UNITED
After that nil-nil draw with Sevilla in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Manchester United recorded three victories against Chelsea (2-1), Crystal Palace (3-2) and Liverpool (2-1), having a lot of problems at the defensive end, particularly against Crystal Palace on the road when they were two goals down.
In the last ten matches in all competitions, the Red Devils have a 7-1-2 record with a 16:7 goal difference, which is 2.3 goals per contest on average, while six out of these ten encounters had less than three goals in the total. Manchester has won five straight matches on the home soil, scoring at least two goals each time, and keeping the clean sheet on three occasions in the process.
The powerhouse striker Romelu Lukaku is the team’s leading scorer with 23 goals in 42 appearances so far, while the winger Jesse Lingard is behind him with 13 goals in 37 matches this season. The talented forward Marcus Rashford has scored 12 times in 40 appearances, and he was a man of the match against Liverpool on last weekend, hitting a tremendous brace in the first half.
The playmaker Paul Pogba and the forward Anthony Martial both are the teams top assist-makers with ten dishes apiece, while Romelu Lukaku added eight assists to his name. Paul Pogba missed the derby against Liverpool due to a thigh injury, and he is still doubtful for the clash with Sevilla, while Ander Herrera (thigh) and Daley Blind (malleolar) are both sidelined.
SEVILLA
Despite a 0-0 stalemate, the Great of Andalusia put on a good performance in the first leg against Manchester, taking 25 shots toward David De Gea’s goal, but they couldn’t find the net against the magnificent Spanish goalkeeper. Since then, Sevilla has won 2-0 against Athletic Bilbao at home, and 1-0 against Malaga on the road, while they’ve lost to Atletico Madrid 5-2, and Valencia 2-0, both times at home.
In the last ten games in all competitions, Sevilla has a 5-2-3 record with a 12:14 goal difference, which is 2.6 goals per contest, while seven out of these ten matches had less than three goals in the total. On the road, Sevilla has won three out of their last five games along with one draw and one loss, keeping the clean sheet two times in the process, and scoring at least once in each of these five tilts.
The striker Wissam Ben Yedder is topping the team’s scoring chart with 17 goals in 33 matches this season, but he has bagged just one goal in his last ten appearances. The winger Pablo Sarabia and the striker Luis Muriel both added eight goals each thus far, while Joaquin Correa scored seven goals in 32 apps.
Pablo Sarabia is the team’s best assist-maker with nine dishes in 41 games, and the winger Nolito and the midfielder Franco Vazquez are both behind him with seven dishes apiece. The manager Vincenzo Montella doesn’t have serious worries about his starting eleven, besides Jesus Navas’ muscular problems, as the experienced winger is still doubtful for the clash against the Red Devils.
Betting on the Totals – Trends
- Manchester United’s previous three matches were ended in the over
- Six out of the last ten Manchester United’s matches had less than three goals in the total
- Three out of the previous four Manchester United’s home matches had at least three goals in the total
- Sevilla’s previous three encounters were finished in the under
- Four out of the last five Sevilla’s games had less than three goals in the total
- Four out of the previous six Sevilla’s away matches had more than two goals in the total
Manchester United vs. Sevilla – Match Prediction
Although the first leg was ended in a nil-nil draw we saw a plenty of scoring chances, especially in front of Manchester United’s goal. However, Manchester United is still a favorite to win the second leg and proceed to the next round, but if Sevilla finds the net, the Red Devils will have to score twice if they want to win the matchup.
Jose Mourinho is a specialist for this kind of matches, and he’ll probably take a patient approach, as he’s well aware of Sevilla’s attacking potential. The prospective opening goal will be a massive gamechanger, and that’s the main reason why the bookmakers set the odds on the Over/Under 2.5 Goals almost even.
I’ll go with the over in this one, hoping we’ll see at least one goal early in the game, while you can check out all other lines and markets on BetDSI Sportsbook.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-105)
For a complete overview of this weeks Champions League matchups, check out this link.
