MU vs Aston Villa score prediction: A bitter ending for the Red Devils
MU vs Aston Villa is a match that ends the season with two contrasting sentiments: the Red Devils are in serious decline, while Villa are full of desire to participate in the European Cup.
The match between MU vs Aston Villa at 10pm on May 25 at Old Trafford marked the end of a forgettable season for Manchester United, while opening up a slim hope for Aston Villa in the race for a ticket to the Champions League.
MU in extreme decline, tragic season
After losing 0-1 to Tottenham in the Europa League final, Man United officially lost their place in the European Cup next season. This is the second time in 35 years that the Red Devils have finished the season without participating in any continental tournament - a deep disappointment for fans.
MU's form has been on a downward spiral. They have lost 18/37 Premier League matches, including 9 defeats at Old Trafford - the worst record in the club's history in the Premier League era. Coach Ruben Amorim's team has not won in the last 8 rounds (2 draws, 6 losses), and is currently in 16th place with only 39 points.
In that context, a big question is being asked: Where will Man United go? Although Amorim announced that he would leave if he no longer had the support of the club, he still believes that he is the right person to rebuild the team. However, the immediate task is to lift the team's spirit in the final match of the season.
Aston Villa full of spirit, still hopeful
In contrast to the home team, Aston Villa are enjoying a streak of form with 3 consecutive wins, without conceding a goal. They are currently level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea in the race for the top 5, but are ranked 6th due to an inferior goal difference. If either of their opponents stumble, Unai Emery's team can completely break into the Champions League group.
Villa have just defeated Tottenham – the team that eliminated MU in the Europa League final – with a score of 2-0, showing that they are completely ready for this decisive match. However, the biggest weakness of the maroon team is their poor away record at the end of the season, winning only 1/26 recent matches.
Coach Emery affirmed that the whole team is "very excited and 100% determined" for the away trip to Old Trafford. With that spirit, plus better form, Villa is rated higher than MU by experts at the moment.
Expected forces and lineup
United are without Lisandro Martinez for the long term, while Matthijs de Ligt is doubtful. Key players Zirkzee, Dalot, Yoro and Evans could return to the starting line-up after the Europa League final. For Villa, Tielemans is likely to miss out due to injury, while Rashford is also ineligible to play. Digne and Mings could return to the starting line-up.
Expected MU lineup:
Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Diallo, Garnacho; Zirkzee
Aston Villa expected lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Rogers, Asensio, McGinn; Watkins
Predict the score of MU vs Aston Villa
In the last 7 encounters between the two teams, Villa won 2, drew 2, lost 3 - not a bad record considering the difference in class in the past. But now, everything is turning around. MU is down in spirit, playing weakly and has no goal, while Villa entered the match with a desire to win to qualify for the Champions League.
Major sites such as Sportsmole and WhoScore both predict a 2-0 win for the away team.
Our prediction: MU 0-2 Aston Villa.
