Man Utd vs Watford: Will the 'Red Devils' wash away their stain?

(Baonghean.vn) At 10:00 PM tonight (February 11th), Man Utd will host the opponent who defeated them 3-1 in the first leg of this season's Premier League.Watford.

How to clean stains?

Remember, after two consecutive defeats at the start of the season, against Man City in the Premier League and Feyenoord in the Champions League, Man Utd desperately needed a win to stabilize their morale. Facing Watford in the fifth round of the Premier League was seen as a good opportunity for the "Red Devils" to regain their spirits. However, Mourinho's team failed to capitalize as Watford proved to be a formidable opponent. MU found themselves in an extremely frustrating situation with incredibly poor attacking play. Before the attack could even get going, the defense made mistakes and gradually fell into despair when Fellaini committed a foul in the penalty area. From the penalty spot, Troy Deeney didn't miss the opportunity to seal a 3-1 victory for Watford.

The defeat against Watford in the first leg is a stain on the history of Manchester United's encounters.

Notably, that was Manchester United's only defeat against Watford in the last 30 years..It was also a painful blow for Mourinho, as he had only just begun his career at Old Trafford when he received this "ominous" blow – the first time he had lost three consecutive matches since 2002. Therefore, people said that Man Utd's defeat at Vicarage Road was "a stain on the reputation of the nobility."

But currently, all factors are quite favorable for Mourinho's team to erase that historical stain. First of all, Old Trafford has always been a stronghold for MU. The "Theatre of Dreams" is helping the "Red Devils" have a streak of 18 consecutive unbeaten matches in all competitions. In the Premier League, Watford has never had the joy of winning when traveling there. Meanwhile, MU's form is quite stable, especially the resounding 3-0 victory against the reigning champions Leicester City, which served as a morale boost to help them forget the turbulent period they have just gone through.

In terms of squad strength, MU also has the advantage over Watford, with only Phil Jones missing due to injury. Conversely, Watford will be without Nordin Amrabat, Camilo Zuniga, Costel Pantilimon, Christian Kabasele, while Miguel Britos and Valon Behrami's availability is uncertain.

Back in the Top 4?

Currently, MU is temporarily ranked 6th in the league table, 14 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Perhaps, no matter how talented Mourinho is, he won't be able to help MU catch up with Chelsea. However, the motivation to secure a Champions League spot next season will help them revive strongly. The gap to the top 4 is now only 2 points, and the fixture list for this 25th round is completely in their favor of overtaking their rivals.

Manchester United are experiencing a resurgence and are ready to return to the top four.

While Liverpool's chances of securing three points against Tottenham are uncertain, Manchester United are poised to defeat Watford. Therefore, their opportunity to overtake The Kop is significant. Furthermore, if Arsenal, with their inconsistent form, slip up in their early match against Hull City, the door to the top four will be wide open for Manchester United.

However, Watford is not an easy opponent, and Mourinho and his players have experienced that firsthand. With their tough, physically demanding style of play, Walter Mazzarri's team not only made Manchester United suffer a bitter defeat, but also indirectly disrupted the top four by beating Arsenal 1-2 in their away match at the Emirates in round 23. They also had a perfect start to the season with a run of four consecutive unbeaten matches after defeating Burnley 2-1 in round 24.

Watford's two most important players, midfielder Etienne Capoue and striker Troy Deeney, are both in excellent form recently. These two players also contributed to the two goals that left Manchester United empty-handed in the first leg. In particular, Troy Deeney, who has scored in two consecutive matches, poses a real threat to Manchester United's defense.

However, the odds are in favor of Mourinho's team. The "Theatre of Dreams" is ready to sing the song of victory. Not only will this allow the "Red Devils" to erase the stain of the first leg and open the door back to the top four, but it will also create momentum for the match against Saint-Etienne in the Europa League knockout round next week.

KIM THUY