Manchester United and Leeds United treated fans to a wildly entertaining 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and will have the rare opportunity to run it straight back as they meet again for the reverse fixture at Elland Road on Sunday.
With their original Premier League meeting postponed due to the Queen's death in November, the rescheduled game was placed just days prior to the reverse matchup, making for a fun double-dip inside a week's time.
The first match was a full-on, 90-minute thrill ride with both sides running circles around the other and trying to pounce on the counter. Leeds went 2-0 up on goals in the early stages of both halves, but Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho helped Man United claw back for a point at home.
Leeds will be thankful they hung on for a result in the first match after Jesse Marsch's dismissal, but have plenty to shore up if they wish to secure more points at home on Sunday.
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Leeds United vs Manchester United odds
Despite the point picked up at Old Trafford on Wednesday, Leeds are still major underdogs as they return home to play the Red Devils again. Still, it might not be quite as heavily swayed towards the favourite as one might expect, given the disparity of these teams in the table and their recent form.
One thing the bookmakers are sure will take place is another exciting affair with lots of goals. The over is weighed heavily and both teams are expected to find the back of the net.
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Neds (Australia).
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Neds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds win | +280 | +287 | 29/10 | 3.70 |
| Draw | +280 | +293 | 11/4 | 3.70 |
| Man United win | -115 | -130 | 17/20 | 1.91 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -175 / +120 | -189 / +119 | 8/15, 11/8 | 1.53 / 2.35 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -165 / +120 | -163 / +121 | 8/13, 6/5 | 1.64 / 2.25 |
| Man United -0.5 | -125 | -114 | — | — |
| Leeds +0.5 | -115 | -111 | — | — |
Leeds United vs Manchester United: 3 things to know
Leeds vs Man United match facts
- Date: Saturday, February 12
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm GMT / 7:00 am AEDT (Thu, Dec. 15)
- Location: Old Trafford (Manchester, England)
- Official: Paul Tierney
Leeds vs Man United team news
Leeds already had injury issues, and those were compounded on Wednesday as both Luis Sinisterra and Pascal Struijk had to depart the match early with injuries. Struijk could return if he clears concussion protocol, but Sinisterra's injury appeared muscular in nature so his status is far more clouded. Stuart Dallas is still out recovering from a broken leg, while Marc Roca is a question mark in midfield. Liam Cooper and Adam Forshaw will both miss the match, and Archie Gray is almost back in training but still probably a few days away.
The absences are piling up for Manchester United and are giving Erik ten Hag selection problems. The midfield is especially thin, with Casemiro still suspended and all of Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, and Donny van de Beek out injured. Aaron Wan-Bissaka missed Wednesday's match with an illness but could return here, although he's in a battle with Diogo Dalot for game time at right-back, with both players in decent form. Antony missed the 2-2 draw with a knock and is a doubt for this game.
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Leeds vs Man United key stats
- Leeds last beat Manchester United in Premier League play back in September of 2002, winless in eight in league play. Across all competitions, Leeds are winless in six, having topped the Red Devils in an FA Cup match back in January of 2010.
- Marcus Rashford is the first Manchester United player in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era to score 20 goals for the club in three different seasons.
- With Casemiro this season in Premier League play, Manchester United average 2.3 points per game and concede just 0.7 goals per game. Without Casemiro, they have secured 1.4 points per game and conceded 2.1 goals per game.
Leeds vs Man United prediction
- Moneyline lean: Man United (-115)
- Against the spread lean: Man United -0.5 (-125)
- Score prediction: Leeds United 1-3 Man United
Yes, Leeds punished Manchester United through a few spells of chaotic insanity at Old Trafford last time out. Yes, Manchester United are thin in midfield with Casemiro suspended and both Eriksen and McTominay injured.
Even with that, United won the expected goals battle significantly at Old Trafford and could have scored more if they were more ruthless in front of net, with Leeds clearing off the line on several occasions. Even if United put in a similar performance in a similarly chaotic match, they should come away with three points. If they improve at all, they can pick up a multiple-goal win against a relegation-threatened team.
Leeds vs Man United: best bet
- Pick: Junior Firpo to be booked
- Odds: +130 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Luke Ayling to be booked
- Odds: +165 (FanDuel)
While it's tempting to take the over on cards in this match, there's a better way to approach this game. Paul Tierney is one of the more lenient referees in the Premier League, and the total is inflated to 4.5, which is a very high bar to clear. It's hard to imagine these two sides playing another high-tempo contest like we saw at Old Trafford just days prior.
Yet there will still surely be some similarity between the two matches, so let's come at this from a different angle. The two Leeds full-backs Junior Firpo and Luke Ayling absolutely had their hands full with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho throughout the 90 minutes last time out, and it resulted in Firpo being booked (and later was lucky to stay on the field).
We can trust Ten Hag to continue attacking Leeds at their weak point, and with two separate bets on these two players to receive a yellow card, we're slight winners with just one hitting, while we're big winners with both.
Leeds United vs. Man United prop bet
- Pick: Jadon Sancho to score or assist a goal
- Odds: -100 (FanDuel)
As someone who relies heavily on statistics to help parse out a game, I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at the final numbers from the match on Wednesday. Luke Ayling was 10/14 on ground duels and completed six tackles, the most of anyone in the match, helping him to an 8.0 match rating on FotMob, which is a very high score.
This is where, while yes numbers are important information, trusting your eyes is also critical. Ayling was absolutely shredded on the wing all match, first by Alejandro Garnacho and then by Jadon Sancho off the bench in the final half-hour. By the end, Ayling was visibly exhausted and could barely keep up. On Sunday, if Ayling is again deployed, which he surely will be given he's started each of the last six Premier League games for Leeds, it could be more of the same.
Sancho is more likely to start at Elland Road on Sunday, as he was only left on the bench Wednesday due to his recovery from a recent illness. If for some reason Sancho doesn't start, feel free to take Garnacho here at even-money odds, as the same applies for the young Argentine winger who was exceptional against the Leeds right-back in the first 60 minutes on Wednesday.
Leeds United vs. Man United flier bet
- Pick: Pre-built parlay — Bruno Fernandes anytime goalscorer, Over 3.5 goals, Man United win by 2+ goals
- Odds: +750 (BetMGM)
This is a wonderfully constructed pre-built parlay on BetMGM in the United States. Bruno Fernandes has been exceptional against Leeds in his career (six goals and two assists in five matches), and while he failed to find the back of the net on Wednesday, he had a number of opportunities to do so, and will surely be a factor again this weekend as he's in great goalscoring form.
If Wednesday's match is any indication, we could get another high-octane 90 minutes at Elland Road. That would suit Leeds for sure, but Ten Hag is likely to patch a few holes that cost United points last time out. The attack was significantly better with Marcus Rashford up front and the invisible Wout Weghorst on the bench, and Fred will need help to be improved in possession.
The two goals for Leeds came on just 0.63 xG in the previous game, so as long as United can keep some kind of lid on the game from a chaos perspective, they should come out with a big win here.
Leeds vs Man United live stream, TV channel
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with fuboTV in USA
MORE: Watch Leeds vs Man United match live with fuboTV in Canada
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | NBC USA Network, Telemundo | NBC Sports website/app, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | — | fuboTV Canada |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League | Sky GO |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport Premier League | Sky Sport NOW |
| India | — | Jio TV, Hotstar VIP |
| Hong Kong | Now Premier League TV (Ch. 620-621) | now TV |
| Malaysia | Astro Super Sport 3 | Astro GO, Sooka |
| Singapore | — | StarHub TV+ |
