Infoinsport.com – The venue for Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers baptism on Monday night is the Theatre of Dreams, where Manchester United will be hosting their Midlands counterparts in gameweek one of the Premier League.
The Red Devils are preparing for their second season under the attentive observation of Erik ten Hag, while their opponents are in chaos following the unavoidable, yet ill-timed, departure of Julen Lopetegui.
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Match Preview
Ten Hag had a successful first season at the Man United helm, qualifying for the Champions League with a podium finish and adding another EFL Cup to the trophy case. Additionally, he had to guide his players through months of ownership uncertainty during his debut campaign in England.
Man United finished in the third position, behind Arsenal and Manchester City, thanks to their outstanding defensive record at Old Trafford, where they only conceded 10 goals in front of their own fans throughout the entire season. Additionally, they ended a six-year period without winning any major trophies by defeating Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final.
To say that Man United had a tumultuous pre-season period would be an understatement. After winning three consecutive matches against Leeds United, Lyon, and Arsenal, the Red Devils were heavily defeated by Wrexham, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund. It should be noted that a young team was played against Wrexham.
After a 3-1 victory against Lens, a surprising team in Ligue 1, Ten Hag’s team concluded their preparations with a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao. It is now anticipated that Man United will secure their seventh consecutive home win in the Premier League on Monday night.
The Red Devils were defeated only once at Old Trafford in the 2022-23 Premier League. However, this loss did occur on the opening weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion, which potentially instilled fear in the more superstitious supporters who are also cautious of the renowned new manager bounce.
Although he regarded Wolves’ survival last season as the most challenging accomplishment in his managerial career so far, Lopetegui was unable to overcome his grievances with the Molineux authorities, making it too difficult for him.
In the midst of rumors about contentious disputes with Fosun regarding the budget for summer transfers, Lopetegui emptied his office just a few days prior to the beginning of the Premier League season. This left the managerial position open for Gary O’Neil, the former head coach of Bournemouth, to assume control.
The 40-year-old managed to defy the odds and keep the Cherries in the top flight, despite their terrible start under Scott Parker. However, the Bournemouth board decided to sack him, despite his impressive accomplishments. Additionally, O’Neil has not been given enough time to get used to his new team of players.
However, there is a sense of familiarity among the visitors due to the fact that only two new first-team players have joined this summer – one of them being Matt Doherty, who has returned to Wolves for a second time. Additionally, they managed to remain unbeaten in five friendly matches, defeating Porto and Rennes before the changes in managerial staff.
The Wolves were unable to win any of their last eight away games in the 2022-23 Premier League season. This sequence includes a 2-0 defeat to Man United on May 13. With only 12 goals scored on their opponents’ turf last season, the chances of causing an upset on the opening day are very slim.
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Team News
Harry Kane has chosen to prioritize achieving German football dominance with Bayern Munich instead of pursuing the all-time Premier League goalscoring record. As a result, Manchester United has decided to take a chance on Danish talent Rasmus Hojlund. However, Hojlund, who previously played for Atalanta BC, will have to wait to make his debut because of a back injury.
Hojlund is joined by several players in a crowded infirmary, including Kobbie Mainoo (ankle), Dean Henderson (thigh), Anthony Martial (thigh), Tyrell Malacia (muscle), Thomas Heaton (calf), and Amad Diallo (knee). As a result, the revitalized Marcus Rashford will take on the leading role in the hosts’ offensive strategy.
Rashford scored 20 goals at home in all tournaments during the 2022-23 season, which was second only to Erling Braut Haaland’s record-breaking 35 goals among all Premier League players. While Hojlund will be observing from the sidelines, Andre Onana and Mason Mount are expected to make their competitive debuts.
In contrast, Wolves begin the first week of the season with almost no injury concerns, although there is a slight doubt regarding Matheus Cunha due to a minor injury. This injury caused him to miss a few days of training last week.
However, O’Neil’s optimism lies in the fact that the Brazilian attacker should be fit to play at Old Trafford, and if he is indeed able, he will unquestionably lead the attack after the departures of underperforming duo Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez.
Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva are also competing to impress O’Neil early on, as the departures of Nathan Collins, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Joao Moutinho, and Conor Coady have also created significant gaps in the Wolves team.
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Lineup
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Mount; Rashford
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Dawson, Ait-Nouri; Nunes, Lemina, Gomes; Sarabia, Cunha, Podence
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Prediction
The score of the match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers was 2-0.
Wolves scored fewer goals on the road than only West Ham United did last season, and a match against the league’s most defensively strong team on the first day should go exactly as expected.
While Hojlund continues to recover, it is possible that you were present for Man United in the striker department. However, the Red Devils should still achieve a maximum result on Monday’s opening day.
