Manchester United begin their Europa League campaign and kick things off by welcoming La Liga outfit Real Sociedad to Old Trafford. George Gamble picks out a best bet.
Football betting tips: Europa League
2pts Both teams to score at 4/5 (General)
Erik ten Hag begins his European journey as boss of Manchester United and he’ll be keen for his side to extend their current run of four straight victories.
He’s expected to make a number of changes, including bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo, who won’t be appearing in a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2002/03.
The tide appears to be shifting at Manchester United. They suffered back-to-back losses in their opening two games of the new campaign, but since then they have managed to put together a four-match winning run.
Confidence will be high after beating Arsenal 3-1 at home, however, it also marked the third successive match at Old Trafford where both teams hit the back of the net.
The hosts have looked more assured defensively when Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been paired as centre-backs, but it looks as though Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could come in for this one. Those changes make the backline weaker and with Real Sociedad finding a goal in all of their four games so far, the visitors will have their moments.
Pulling the strings in midfield for the visitors will be City legend David Silva, who will hope to get one over on his old rivals.
Sociedad rank top for possession won in the final third on average so far in La Liga and they’ll look to put pressure on a much-changed United side.
However, Ronaldo looks set to lead the line for the Red Devils and he loves these opponents. He may not be the same player he once was, but in the nine times he has faced Sociedad, he has scored a colossal 15 goals.
A much-changed United line-up will give Sociedad a boost and both outfits possess the tools to get on the scoresheet.
A lot of bookies have BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE at 3/4 which isn’t a bad price for this pick, however, it makes the 4/5 on this selection even more appealing.
Manchester United v Real Sociedad best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Both teams to score at 4/5 (General)
Score prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Real Sociedad (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)
Odds correct at 1405 BST (07/09/22)
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