Will Leicester City play into Manchester United’s hands?

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There are various scenarios for Manchester United which would see the team qualify for the Champions League on Sunday if we win, draw, and even lose.

For final day opponents Leicester City, the task is a little more simple. They need to win.

Leicester enter the final day in fifth position and this could play into Manchester United’s hands.

This will mean the Foxes need to take the game to United, and this can help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred counter attacking style.

United have the players to make Leicester pay

United’s forwards are at their best running into space, driving forward and hitting teams on the counter attack.

Bruno Fernandes’ goal away at Brighton was a perfect encapsulation of this, after clever work from Nemanja Matic and Mason Greenwood.

Greenwood himself struck an impressive counter attacking goal away at Aston Villa a fortnight ago to put United two goals up.

United’s challenges have come against teams which defend deep and test us to break them down, but Leicester cannot afford to sit back.

The Foxes are likely to be without their two top choice full-backs for the fixture, injured stars Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira.

Youngsters James Justin and Luke Thomas were exposed against Tottenham, and with Caglar Soyuncu suspended too, United should fancy their chances against a makeshift backline which conceded three against Tottenham and four versus Bournemouth.

First goal crucial

Leicester themselves have been one of the better counter attacking teams in the league this season, and would be particularly dangerous opponents for United to have to try and break down.

This is why the first goal in the match is crucial and could have the decisive impact on the result.

As it stands, United enter the day ahead of Leicester, and it is the Foxes who risk getting caught on the break and having their Champions League dreams ripped apart.

If United take the lead, Leicester will get more desperate and despondent, and Solskjaer’s side could really make them pay.

But if United concede first, we will have to start chasing the game and take risks, amid fear of conceding a potentially killer second goal.

The first goal really will be crucial, and United will have to defend as well as we did against Leicester back in the 1-0 win at Old Trafford back in September.

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