EFL Cup: Will Ruud van Nistelrooy Bring the New Manager Bounce?

Manchester United vs Leicester City

Manchester United will continue their EFL Cup campaign under a new head coach when they host Leicester City for their Round of 16 matchup at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Since they crushed Barnsley 7-0 in the third round last September, things have gone awry for the Red Devils. They’re coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat against West Ham United last weekend, costing Erik ten Hag his job.

Club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy will serve as the Red Devils’ caretaker manager in the meantime, as the top brass is reportedly in talks with Sporting’s Ruben Amorim.

As for Leicester City, they eked out a penalty shootout win over Walsall in the third round last September. However, Steve Cooper’s side has managed to get two Premier League wins over Bournemouth (1-0) and Southampton (3-2) since then.

The Foxes are coming off a 3-1 loss against Nottingham Forest last Saturday, so a win here should also boost their confidence.

 

Talking Points

Manchester United are light at the back

Given the short turnaround between games, we don’t expect Ruud van Nistelrooy to make wholesale changes to his tactics and lineups on Wednesday.

The Dutchman is aiming to start his interim spell with style to make his case to be the team’s next permanent manager, but just like his predecessor, Ruud van Nistelrooy has some key injuries to deal with.

Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, and Kobbie Mainoo remain long-term absentees, and they have two newest additions to the team’s injury list.

Noussair Mazraoui is doubtful to play after suffering a knock on his knee against West Ham United. The Moroccan full-back looked visibly distressed following his collision with Jarrod Bowen in the 84th minute.

Antony is also recovering from a sprained ankle he sustained during their 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in the Europa League last Thursday.

Jonny Evans or Victor Lindelof could draw a start on Wednesday because of this, moving Lisandro Martinez to left-back and Diogo Dalot back to his preferred right-back position.

Other than their lack of defencive depth, van Nistelrooy will also have to sort out Manchester United’s lack of a clinical edge in the final third since they currently have the worst big chance conversion rate in the English top-flight.

 

Vardy to continue to do the heavy lifting for Leicester City

Speaking of converting chances, Leicester City should have no problem doing so because they have Jamie Vardy. The 37-year-old leads the Foxes in scoring with four goals, including two in his last two appearances.

Vardy recently became the first over-37 player since Cristiano Ronaldo (and the first in two years) to find the back of the net in consecutive Premier League matches after netting against Nottingham Forest and Southampton.

At 37 years and 288 days, Vardy is also the fourth-oldest player to do this particular feat after only Teddy Sheringham (39 years, 350 days), Ryan Giggs (39 years, 86 days), and Graham Alexander (38 years, 28 days).

Fellow front man Facundo Buonanotte has also been on a roll, as he has scored twice in his last three appearances. He should join Jamie Vardy again up front alongside wingers Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi.

 

History

Manchester United last met Leicester City when the latter was still in the Premier League (since they got relegated eventually before returning this year). Under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils completed a league double over the Foxes via an aggregate tally of 4-0.

Manchester United are the third-winningest club in the EFL Cup with six titles, including their most recent one in 2023, when they won against Newcastle United in the final for Erik ten Hag’s first trophy.

Leicester City, on the other hand, have three EFL Cups under their belt. The Foxes last won this trophy in 2000, as they were the final team to win it at the old Wembley Stadium.

 

Betting Tip

The EFL Cup 2024 odds believe in the new manager bounce, as Manchester United are the overwhelming favourites (for some reason). The Red Devils are priced at 1.32 to win, while the Foxes are 6.70 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.58 in the 1X2 market.

But because both the Red Devils and the Foxes are in shaky form, guessing the winner of this contest isn’t as straightforward as you’d expect.

However, matchups between these two teams have yielded goals, hence our recommended bet above. SBOTOP football fans and bettors should get their fair share of EFL Cup 2024 highlights.

   

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