Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest: preview and betting tips

First league game without Cristiano Ronaldo on the roster in a year and a half. Manchester United return to the Premier League scene on Tuesday, taking on newcomer to the elite Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

Manchester United made it through the first tough game of December, knocking out Championship leader Burnley 2-0 in the League Cup. They are fifth in the Premier League but have a game in hand and are only four points behind third-placed Newcastle.

Nottingham didn’t slack off during the World Cup break, playing four preliminary matches with a record of one win and three losses, and then knocking Blackburn out of the League Cup 4-1. He is 18th in the table, but his performances and results went up significantly in November.

Manchester City’s key figures

Marcus Rashford has been on the rise since the start of the season, with nine goals and three assists, scoring three times at the World Cup. Casemiro has done a decent defensive job so far in the league and for Brazil in Qatar.

Nottingham’s key figures

Union Berlin’s summer signing Taiwo Awoniyi has been catching on at the tip of the attack and has hit four times so far, including once against Blackburn in the week. More was also expected from Jesse Lingard, on the other hand he provided two goals in Wednesday’s win (1+1).

What to expect and what to bet on?

Even without Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester have thrived in attack, scoring more than once in four of their last five games. It has to do with Rashford’s form, as the Red Devils were not on fire for the first two months.

Even in Nottingham’s games, a lot of goals are falling. Four of the last five have seen at least three goals, while Nottingham have the second worst defence in the competition after Bournemouth with 30 goals scored.

Considering the form of Rashford, Nottingham’s long term poor defensive performance and the fact that at least eight corners have been kicked each time in Manchester’s last six games, I think the home side will win and at least eight corners will be seen.

Source: Premier League