Manchester United are looking to get off to a winning start in the FA Cup this season as they host Reading at Old Trafford on Saturday in the third round of the competition. The two teams have met at the same stage of the FA Cup in 2017, and back then the Red Devils secured a 4-0 victory with goals from Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial and a double from Marcus Rashford. That was the fifth consecutive win for Manchester United against Reading and the seventh in the last ten matches. Reading have only managed to secure three draws in the last ten direct matches, the last time they defeated the Red Devils was in 1927.
Manchester United have been doing extremely well under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they have won four matches out of four and scored an impressive fourteen goals in the process. This week the Red Devils secured a 2-0 victory at Newcastle and consolidated their sixth place in the Premier League table, three points behind fifth-placed Arsenal. Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku had substitute appearances at Newcastle after having returned from injuries, they will probably be in the first eleven against Reading in order to build up their match fitness. Eric Bailly is suspended for this match, while Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo are injured.
Reading are going through very difficult times, they are in real danger of getting relegated from the Championship just six years after their relegation from the Premier League. They have won just four of their 26 league matches this season and have not tasted victory in their last ten matches. Their League Cup campaign didn't go any better, they did beat Birmingham in the first round but then lost 2-0 against Watford in the second. Tyler Blackett and Leandro Bacuna are suspended for this match, while Tom McIntyre, Saeid Ezatolahi and Jordan Obita are expected to miss out due to injuries.
Probable line-ups:
Man United: Romero - Dalot, Lindelof, Jones, Darmian - Fred, Pereira, Fellaini - Greenwood, Lukaku, Sanchez
Reading: Jaakkola - Yiadom, Moore, O'Shea, Richards - Rinomhota, Kelly - McCleary, Swift, Barrow - Meite
My prediction: Manchester United to win 4-0, the Red Devils should have an easy one.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Man United win - 1.12
Draw - 10.00
Reading win - 26.00
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