Southampton vs. Manchester United: Preview and predictions

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Maya Yoshida of Southampton and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United battle for possession during the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary's Stadium on May 17, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Maya Yoshida of Southampton and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United battle for possession during the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary's Stadium on May 17, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Southampton welcome Manchester United to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon, in what will be their biggest test of the season so far.

Following three points and a solid performance from the Saints at Crystal Palace last weekend, fans will want to see continued progression this weekend.

They’ll also want goals, which are still hard to come by at the best of times. The striking trio of Gabbiadini, Austin and Long have scored just one goal from open play between them in the last 18 games.

This needs to change quickly. But changing it against a Manchester United side in this kind of form is going to be tough. The Red Devils have been dominant so far this season, and will be looking to keep the early race against their city rivals going this weekend.

It’s certainly not all doom and gloom for Southampton though. The odds may be stacked against a home win, but stranger things have happened in the Premier League already this season.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Anthony Martial of Manchester United celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Burton Albion at Old Trafford on September 20, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Anthony Martial of Manchester United celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Burton Albion at Old Trafford on September 20, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Why Southampton will win

Despite Manchester United’s impressive score lines this season, there are those who claim that they haven’t been that impressive over 90 minutes.

Pellegrino will want to prove two things this weekend – that St. Mary’s can become a difficult place for any team to visit, and that last week’s better performance wasn’t a one-off.

Whether Virgil van Dijk returns to the starting lineup or not, the back of the team still looks more solid the front. Only Stoke have scored against United in the league this season, in a 2-2 draw in which they were dominated in terms of opportunities and possession.

If Southampton can score first on Saturday, like Stoke did, Mourinho’s men will be in a position they aren’t used to. And that could be the most likely key to success.

Pellegrino is also closing in on his preferred starting eleven, and some consistency in the side should start to pay dividends.

Why Manchester United will win

Teams that win leagues don’t have to play world class football every week, they just have to win games.

Manchester United have been very good at that so far this season. Since losing the UEFA Super Cup 2-1 to Real Madrid, United have won six and drawn only one of their seven fixtures in all competitions.

They have also scored 23 goals in those seven games, and conceded only three. In fact, three of their opening five Premier League matches have been 4-0 wins.

Even if we are to believe that Mourinho’s men have been flattered by some of their score lines so far, it’s only a matter of time until they truly gel. If it happens this weekend, Saints could be in trouble.

Next: Alaves will regret letting Pellegrino go

Predicted lineups

Southampton

Goalkeeper: Fraser Forster

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand, Wesley Hoedt, Maya Yoshida, Cedric Soares

Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, Mario Lemina, Dusan Tadic, Steven Davis, Nathan Redmond

Strikers: Shane Long

Manchester United

Goalkeeper: David de Gea

Defenders: Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Ashley Young

Midfielders: Marounane Fallaini, Nemanja Matić, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford

Striker: Romelu Lukaku

Verdict

Southampton 0 – 2 Manchester United

Jose Mourinho’s side have looked solid so far this season, and I don’t see the Saints putting a dent in their progress. Last week Southampton only managed a single goal against a poor Crystal Palace side, and some patchy home form will contribute to a routine win for United.