Manchester United might have unloaded the burden of the 7-0 loss at Anfield against Arch rival Liverpool on Thursday night after a convincing display to win 4-1 against Real Betis in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie but Southampton still has a lot of work to do against Erik Ten Hag's side who have been magnificent this season.
The Red Devils will still be determined to set the record straight as they seek to continue their response in the most positive remarks as possible after the Anfield hauling. Erik Ten Hag has ensured they corrected their mistakes as he named the same starting eleven that got beaten in the Premier League by Liverpool in their Thursday clash with La Liga side Real Betis.
Old Trafford has generally been a nightmare for opposition teams this campaign but for Southampton it's worse than fighting a relegation battle. The saints will still have that 9-0 loss back in 2020 fresh on their minds. However, it's going to be a great test for Ruben Selles side in their fight to stay in the Premier League.
An article on the Saints official website indicates that Southampton will have their hands full on Sunday afternoon, their defense will have to deal with the flexibility and fluidity of the Red Devils attack. While they stay wary of set piece as this has turned out to be one of Manchester United's greatest weapons this campaign.
It will be hard to track any of Manchester United's Attacking quadrants, Marcus Rashford's pace and ability to score from any position is the highest threat the saints will have to deal with, keeping an eye on Bruno Fernandes who will likely be popping up at dangerous positions on the pitch with the ball ready to make a killer pass, the fact that he is hard to be man-marked makes it a tougher job for Ruben Selles side as the Portuguese loves exploiting for free places where he can make decisions with the ball.
Wout Weghorst's ability to distract central defenders and creating space for the Red Devils pacey forwards is another issue to be dealt with, while Luke Shaw's set pieces must be kept away from connecting with any of Man United's players in the box especially Casemiro. The Brazilian is a double threat to the saints as he will be there to distrupt their attacking build up while offering a threat to Man United going forward.
Southampton is expecting to follow Liverpool's lead by exploiting the Red Devils using their full backs and keeping the ball on the wings, while Che Adams's energy and powerful pace will be used to keep Manchester United's defense in check. However, Manchester United fans will be calm as Lisandro Martinez should be equal to the threat poised by the English striker.
They are as well expecting to bank on James Ward Prowse set pieces techniques, he showed his prowess against Premier League big boys Chelsea a few weeks back, as his first half free kick was enough to bag them three points at Stamford Bridge. The mid fielder is the best set piece taker in the current era of the Premier League and has David Backhman's record in sight.
Regardless of the Saints position in the Premier League table, Erik Ten Hag is weary of the threat they poise due to the fact that they are in a relegation battle. When asked during his press conference on Friday if Man United need have the mentality of bouncing back after Liverpool's loss.
""Definitely," he replied.
"we have seen I think two weeks ago Southampton beat Chelsea away, so we have to play an outstanding performance on Sunday to beat Southampton."
"At the bottom, it's very close so they will be on the front foot, they will be aggressive. They will do everything to collect points here. So we have to be 100 per cent and give the best performance to beat them," he emphasized.
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