Manchester United vs Valencia Predictions

To say that tension is growing at Old Trafford would be an understatement. Manchester United fell to a new low on Saturday as they were deservedly beaten 3-1 at the London Stadium, cementing this season as their worst start to a top flight campaign since the 1989/90 season.

They also fell to an early elimination in the League Cup in midweek as Derby County knocked them out on penalties, which makes them winless in three matches, after their brief winning streak was brought to an end at Molineux a couple of weeks ago.

The Red Devils’ last victory came away to Young Boys in their Champions League opener, but Valencia promise to be a much sterner test of their mettle than the Swiss champions last time out. Valencia’s strength also makes them a big player in the race for qualification from this group, so this could be a very important result for both sides.

The Spaniards aren’t exactly flying high at the moment either though. In fact, their 1-0 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday was their first win of the season in all competitions, with their previous seven outings resulting in five draws and two defeats, one of which was a 2-0 loss at home to group favourites Juventus.

Defensively, Los Murcielagos actually look a very solid side. Despite their painfully slow start to the season they have only conceded eight goals, but at the other end of the pitch they’re really struggling to make an impact. They have scored just five goals, and as a result it’s been rather lacking from an entertainment standpoint.

Manchester United’s attack isn’t exactly flourishing at the moment, so facing a tight Valencia defence could be a difficult task for them. They have scored 15 goals in their nine games, but only four in their last three. They will be pleased to face a side with such limited attacking capabilities though.

All of this points towards a low key clash at Old Trafford. All but one of Valencia’s eight competitive games this season have seen fewer than three goals, with an average of just 1.6 goals per game. Manchester United’s matches have been a bit more goal heavy, but the majority of that has been down to their shambolic defending.

In addition, each of the last five competitive meetings between these sides have seen fewer than three goals, so we’re backing Under 2.5 Goals here. Manchester United are in poor form, but they have never lost in the Champions League to Valencia. Four of the six previous ties have ended all square though, so we’re backing a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford too.