Manchester United vs Sheriff Tiraspol Predictions

• Manchester United have won nine of their last 13 games in all competitions, and each of their last three in the UEFA Europa League.
• Three of United’s four Europa League games this season have contained under 2.5 goals, all four have contained under 3.5.
• The Red Devils have only conceded once in their last four matches.
• All 12 of Sheriff Tiraspol’s European fixtures this season have contained under 3.5 goals.

Red Devils out to secure progress

Having rescued what could prove to be a crucial Premier League point against top-four rivals Chelsea last time out, Manchester United turn their attentions to the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, looking to wrap up a top-two finish with a game to spare. Given the congested nature of the pre-World Cup schedule, Erik ten Hag will no doubt be keen to seal the deal at home to Sheriff Tiraspol, and his team appear worth backing to do so.

While questions remain as to whether Ten Hag has implemented his own philosophy as of yet, United have won nine of their last 13 games in all competitions, including their last three in this competition, and have been aided in that run by a solid defensive record. United have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches in all competitions, not conceding a single goal from open play, and have seen under 2.5 goals scored in all four of their Europa League matches this term.

Sheriff struggled to match United in a 2-0 home defeat last month, and have since suffered back-to-back European losses to Real Sociedad. The Moldovan champions have failed to score in five of their last six European fixtures, including each of their last three, and have seen under 3.5 goals scored in 17 of their last 18 games. What’s more, Sheriff were rocked by the shock resignation of coach Stjepan Tomas this week, and look unlikely test their illustrious opponents.

Managerless visitors will struggle

Given United’s strong recent form and Sheriff’s poor attacking returns in Europe, backing Ten Hag’s men to win a match featuring under 3.5 goals appears an excellent way of extracting value while keeping the Red Devils onside on Thursday – under four goals have been scored in 10 of their last 13 games.

Meanwhile, a 2-0 home win could represent a decent correct score prediction, with Sheriff conceding multiple goals in five of their last seven European matches (including qualifiers).