Wolves host Manchester United with eye on FA Cup semifinal

The last time the two teams met was in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, where a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the host gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his third defeat as Manchester United boss.

Published : Apr 02, 2019 17:17 IST

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope Paul Pogba leads Manchester United by example as every point gained now matters in the race for Champions League spots.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope Paul Pogba leads Manchester United by example as every point gained now matters in the race for Champions League spots.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope Paul Pogba leads Manchester United by example as every point gained now matters in the race for Champions League spots.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will play host to Manchester United on Tuesday in what could be an important game for the Red Devils in the race for a top-four finish.

The last time the two teams met was in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, where a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the host gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his third defeat as Manchester United boss.

While United comes into this game on the back of a hard-fought win against Watford, Wolves will have one eye on the FA Cup semifinal against Watford this weekend — which could mean some sort of rotation for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. Jimenez and Matt Doherty were rested for the weekend defeat at Burnley, so they might come in to gives others a rest. Ryan Bennett is available after serving a two-match suspension.

Read |  Solskjaer will lead Man Utd to top-four finish, says Giggs

There's a good chance Solskjaer will also rotate his squad as the club has a big quarterfinal game against Barcelona in the Champions League next week. Anthony Martial scored against Watford over the weekend but was substituted with an injury. But he and Romelu Lukaku, who was an unused substitute, are expected to be fit for the game.

In the defeat at Molineux less than a month ago, United struggled to break down a stubborn Wolves side despite having most of the possession. With another tough game expected for Solskjaer's men, the Norwegian will hope Paul Pogba leads his team by example as every point gained now matters in the race for Champions League spots.

READ| Pogba happy at Man Utd despite Real Madrid links

History

Tuesday's game will be the 10th fixture between United and Wolves in the Premier League, with the Reds having won six times. The only draw happened earlier this season, when the teams played out a 1-1 stalemate at Old Trafford. The last Premier League fixture between the sides at Molineux, in 2012, ended in a 5-0 win for the Manchester club.

Opta facts

— Following the 2-1 win against it in the FA Cup quarterfinal, Wolves are looking to beat Manchester United twice in the same season for the first time since 1979-80, when it won both top-flight games against the Red Devils.

— The last time Man Utd failed to win home or away against a promoted side in a single Premier League campaign was back in 2002-03, drawing at home and losing away at Manchester City.

— Wolves have alternated between victory and defeat in their four previous Premier League home games against Man Utd, losing 0-5 the last time the sides faced each other at Molineux in March 2012.

— Wolves have won more points against 'big six' sides in the Premier League this season than any of the other 14 teams in the competition (10 — W2 D4 L3).

— Wolves are unbeaten in four home Premier League games (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in two of the last three.

— Paul Pogba has been directly involved in five of Manchester United's last eight away goals in the Premier League (2 goals, 3 assists).

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