Wolves vs Man Utd Prediction & Betting Tips

Joe Vaughan 24 Dec 2024

Wolves vs Man Utd Predictions

  • Full Time Result: Wolves Win
  • Correct Score: 3-2
  • Both Teams To Score: Yes
  • Over 2.5 Goals: Yes
  • First Goalscorer: Matheus Cunha

Wolves vs Man Utd Tips

Fresh from winning his first match in charge of Wolves, Vitor Pereira will be seeking further success when his team plays host to a Manchester United side still trying to find their feet under Ruben Amorim.

This Premier League contest will kick off at 17:30 on Boxing Day and will take place at Wolves’ Molineux Stadium. Read on for our detailed in-depth analysis, predictions and betting tips ahead of this crucial clash.

Wolves Team News

Wolves made the perfect start to life under new boss Pereira, who replaced Gary O’Neil in the dugout earlier this month, as his side claimed a 3-0 victory away at fellow strugglers Leicester in his first game in charge.

That result was not enough to lift Wolves out of the relegation zone, but they are now just two points adrift of safety and will hope their new-manager bounce continues on Boxing Day.

The Molineux outfit certainly have the attacking firepower to pull clear of danger – they have scored four more goals than fourth-placed Nottingham Forest – but they also hold the leakiest defence in the division, having conceded an eye-watering 40 times to date.

Pereira is unlikely to make too many changes to his line-up on Boxing Day with the likes of Boubacar Traore and Pablo Sarabia still on the treatment table. Rayan Ait-Nouri is available following suspension while, as it stands, leading scorer Matheus Cunha can also play despite a recent FA charge.

Man Utd Team News

Manchester United’s expected upturn in fortunes following last month’s arrival of Amorim as head coach has yet to fully materialise, with the Portuguese having seen his side pick up just six points from his seven league games in charge.

United’s players were booed off after Sunday’s 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth – a third league defeat in four – and a result that leaves them 13th in the standings heading into this game.

Matthijs de Ligt missed Sunday’s defeat through illness but could return for this trip down the M6, however, Mason Mount (thigh), Luke Shaw (calf) and Victor Lindelof (knock) all remain on the treatment table.

There also remains huge question marks regarding Marcus Rashford’s involvement, with the England international having been left out of United’s last three matchday squads.

Wolves vs Man Utd Head-to-Head Statistics

Wolves’ victory over Leicester on Sunday was just their third league success of the season and ended a run of four-straight defeats.

United have lost four of their last six matches across all competitions and have only won two of their eight away games in the Premier League this season.

The Red Devils have dominated recent meetings with their Boxing Day opponents, winning the last four head-to-heads, while Wolves’ only victory in the last 12 encounters was a 1-0 success at Old Trafford in 2022.

Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 4-3 United win with Kobbie Mainoo scoring a dramatic 97th-minute winner.

Key Players to Watch

There is no doubting who Wolves’ key player has been this season, with forward Cunha having been directly involved in 12 goals, scoring nine himself and providing three assists.

Manchester United’s star man since Amorim arrived has been winger Amad Diallo, who has five goal involvements in his last four domestic appearances.

Predicted Lineups

After comprehensively winning his first game in charge, Wolves boss Pereira may stick with the same XI that started against Leicester, but his United counterpart Amorim is unlikely to follow suit.

Wolves (3-4-3): Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Toti; Semedo, Andre, Joao Gomes, Rodrigo Gomes; Guedes, Cunha, Larsen.

Man Utd (3-4-3): Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez; Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Malacia; Diallo, Fernandes, Hojlund.

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