Learn about the Manchester United vs. Aston Villa preseason game, including predictions, news about the teams, and possible lineups.
Manchester United’s preseason tour of Thailand and Australia will end on Saturday with a friendly against Premier League team Aston Villa.
The Red Devils have won all three of their pre-season games this summer, beating Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, and Crystal Palace. Villa has also had a perfect summer, beating Walsall, Leeds United, and Brisbane Roar in their three games since the end of last season.
Match preview
Man United’s impressive preseason run continued on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in Melbourne. Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho all scored in the win, which came after wins over Liverpool and Melbourne Victory.
The 20-time English champions will finish this leg of their preseason tour with a game against Villa in Perth. They will then go back to Europe for friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend.
Then, on August 7, 2022, Erik ten Hag’s team will start the 2022–23 Premier League season at home against Brighton & Hove Albion. It will be interesting to see how Man United do next season after a disappointing 2021–22 campaign that saw them finish sixth and miss out on the Champions League.
Tyrell Malacia is the only new player on tour with the team, but Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez have also joined the club this summer. Both could make their debuts next weekend.
Man United is still trying to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, and they are still without Cristiano Ronaldo because of rumors about his future. However, Martial, Rashford, and Sancho have all done well this summer, scoring seven goals between them in the team’s three games.
Villa, on the other hand, started getting ready for the 2022-23 season with a 4-0 win over Walsall on July 9. On July 17, they beat Leeds United 1-0 in their second summer game.
Then, Steven Gerrard’s team won the Queensland Champions Cup by beating Brisbane Roar 1-0 on Wednesday night. Cameron Archer scored the game’s only goal.
Villa will now play two friendlies against Manchester United and Rennes before starting the 2022–23 Premier League season on August 6 at newly promoted Bournemouth.
Gerrard’s team has been busy in the transfer market this summer. They have made a permanent move for Philippe Coutinho and brought in Diego Carlos, Robin Olsen, Ludwig Augustinsson, and Boubacar Kamara. On the other hand, Trezeguet and Matt Targett left the club.
Villa finished 14th in the Premier League last season, with only 45 points from 38 games. They will definitely want to do better this season, aiming for a top-half spot and possibly a challenge for a spot in Europe.
Scott McTominay didn’t train with Manchester United on Wednesday. Instead, the Scotland international went to the gym to recover, so his place in the team is in doubt.
Raphael Varane and James Garner didn’t play in the last game against Crystal Palace, and it’s still not clear if they’ll be on the field on Saturday.
Varane won’t play if he isn’t fully fit, so Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire could play together again. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot are likely to play at the ends of the defense.
If McTominay can’t play, Donny van de Beek could move into the middle. Rashford, Martial, and Sancho are likely to start up front again for Ten Hag against Gerrard’s team.
For Villa, Keinan Davis can’t play because of a hamstring injury, and Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Kortney Hause are still out.
On Saturday, head coach Gerrard will use all of his players, but the starting XI could be similar to the one that played against Brisbane Roar. Leon Bailey, Danny Ings, Coutinho, and Carlos are all likely to be in the lineup.
Bertrand Traore could be moved to the bench, and Tyrone Mings could start in the middle of the defense. Ollie Watkins is likely to be used in the final third of the field.
Man United vs Aston Villa Starting Line Up Prediction
Who will start for Man United against Aston Villa?
De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, and Shaw; Fred, Van de Beek, and Fernandes; Rashford, Martial, and Sancho; and Rashford, Martial, and Sancho.
Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Mings, and Digne; McGinn, Kamara, and Coutinho; Bailey, Watkins, and Ings could start for Aston Villa.
Score Prediction
The score is 2-1, Manchester United vs Aston Villa.
This could be Man United’s toughest test of the summer, since Palace was missing a lot of players for Tuesday’s game. Both managers will see the game as good practice for the new season, and we think it will be a close one, with Man United possibly coming out on top 2-1.
