Phase One of the mission is complete for Manchester United, with the Red Devils having completed the inside pass, moving into a Champions League position. Now it's on to Phase Two: staying there.
Manchester United (4th, 38 points) travels to Turf Moor to take on Burnley (20th, 13 points) looking to strengthen its hold on fourth place in the Premier League table. It won't be easy, matching up against one of the league's most stout defenses, a side which is fighting for its Premier League life.
While United is looking over its shoulder, knowing any slip could allow one or more of the four teams behind it to overtake the Red Devils, Burnley is looking ahead, safe in the knowledge that three points would move it not just off the bottom but out of the relegation zone altogether.
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The stakes are high and goals could be hard to come by. These clubs may be on opposite ends of the table, but there's every indication this will be a scrappy affair.
How to watch Burnley vs. Man United
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 8
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Spanish-language TV: Universo
- Streaming: fuboTV
Tuesday's match between Manchester United and Burnley from Turf Moor will be broadcast on USA Network (English) and Univision and TUDN (Spanish) in the USA.
MORE: Man United dumped out of FA Cup by Middlesbrough
Both channels can be streamed on fuboTV and new users can take advantage of a free trial.
Burnley vs. Man United projected lineups
Burnley has Josh Brownhill back from suspension after the midfielder missed the 0-0 draw with Watford last time out, and he should slide into the starting lineup.
The Clarets, however, do have a number of players still missing. Matej Vydra is still out for another month with a hernia operation, and Johan Berg Gudmundsson had an appendectomy recently. Ashley Barnes has been missing since mid-October and is back in training but still lacking match fitness and could miss out, while Charlie Taylor is a doubt with a foot injury.
After new striker Wout Weghorst was blanked in his debut against Watford, it's possible that Jay Rodriguez could be brought in to partner with him up top and help provide service.
Burnley projected starting lineup (4-4-2): Pope (GK) — Roberts, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor — McNeil, Westwood, Brownhill, Cornet — Rodriguez, Weghorst.
After United was dumped from the FA Cup on penalties, Ralf Rangnick will likely make a number of changes to that side.
David de Gea was rested for Dean Henderson, but the Premier League's January Player of the Month will surely return for league action, while Anthony Elanga should be reintroduced to the starting lineup in a show of faith after he came off the bench and missed the deciding penalty in the FA Cup shootout. Elanga has been a bright spot for United, with the 19-year-old Swede starting the last three Premier League matches.
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It will be interesting to see how Rangnick handles the middle of the pitch, with Paul Pogba returning from his long-term injury to start against Middlesbrough, playing extremely well but possibly still lacking match fitness for a full role just yet. Fred could be recalled if that is the case.
Man United projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1): De Gea (GK) — Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles — McTominay, Pogba — Rashford, Fernandes, Elanga — Ronaldo.
Burnley vs. Man United betting odds, pick & prediction
Odds courtesy of DraftKings
Goals should be at a premium in this match.
The 3-1 Manchester United triumph in the reverse fixture just before the new year is the last time Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal, with the Portuguese star mired in a four-match goalscoring slump across all competitions. He played well overall in the weekend's FA Cup loss to Middlesbrough, but his early missed penalty stands out as a contributing factor in the eventual result.
His counterpart at Turf Moor on Tuesday is in a similar dry spell. Wout Weghorst, who had two very good seasons with Wolfsburg entering the current campaign, has been plagued by bad form and bad service so far this season. Already underperforming his 8.66 xG with Wolfsburg by two goals, he moves from one team with bad service to another, with Burnley having created a paltry 10.98 xG from open play in Premier League action this season, last in the league.
Set pieces will decide this game, if there's anything to separate these two sputtering attacks at all. The margins will be thin enough here that picking a winner should be avoided — either side could find a moment of brilliance, especially given the presence of Bruno Fernandes, plus Man United's leakiness at the back — but backing the under feels like a safer bet.
Pick: Under 2.5 goals (+100)
Prediction: Burnley 0, Man United 1
- Moneyline: Burnley +500 / Draw +310 / Man United -170
- Spread: Man United -0.5 (-175) / Burnley +0.5 (+155)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -120 / Under +100
- Both teams to score: Yes -120/ No -105
