A spot in the FA Cup fifth round will be on the line when Manchester United and Leicester City clash in the fourth round at Old Trafford on Friday.
The 2024/25 FA Cup resumes this week with the fourth round, bringing us 16 matches between Friday and Tuesday. Manchester United vs Leicester City at Old Trafford will be the only game on Friday, with the two Premier League clubs vying for a spot in the fifth round.
Manchester United qualified for the FA Cup fourth round by beating Arsenal on penalties in the previous stage. The match was an engrossing affair as the Red Devils held off their Premier League rivals despite being a man down for most of the proceedings. On the other hand, Leicester City cruised to a 6-2 win over Queens Park Rangers in the third round, with five players finding the back of the net.
Meanwhile, Manchester United and Leicester City come into Friday’s FA Cup tie on the back of morale-sapping defeats, with the results far from ideal for the two teams. While the Red Devils went down 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace, the Foxes suffered a 4-0 defeat to Everton to drop into the relegation zone.
Manchester City and Leicester City have clashed twice this season, with the Red Devils clinching three-goal victories in both games, clinching a 5-2 win in the EFL Cup round of 16 while scoring three unanswered goals in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Leicester City on Friday.
Lisandro Martinez is the latest absentee after rupturing multiple ligaments in his left knee. The Argentine international will not play again this season. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw has suffered a setback on his recovery trail and remains unavailable for the foreseeable future. The duo accompanies Jonny Evans (back) and Mason Mount (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Altay Bayindir will replace Andre Onana between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs Leicester City on Friday. The central defensive unit should feature Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu should be the two wing-backs, with the latter making his Manchester United bow.
As for the midfield unit, Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes should pair up in the middle of the park, with Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo being the more advanced midfielders. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund should lead the line for Manchester United against Leicester City on Friday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Bayindir; Mazraoui, Maguire, de Ligt; Dalot, Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Amad, Mainoo; Hojlund
Leicester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Ruud van Nistelrooy has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Leicester City manager will be without three first-team players on Friday.
Wilfred Ndidi is closing in on returning from a hamstring injury. However, Friday’s FA Cup clash has come too soon for the experienced midfielder. The Nigerian international accompanies Ricardo Pereira (thigh) and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (knee) on the sidelines.
Jakub Stolarczyk should take his spot between the sticks, with Leicester City lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Friday. The backline will likely feature Woyo Coulibaly, Conor Coady, Caleb Okoli, and Victor Kristiansen.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Boubakary Soumare and Oliver Skipp in the double pivot. Bilal El Khannouss will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Facundo Buonanotte and Stephy Mavididi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Patson Daka should spearhead the Leicester City attack against Manchester United on Friday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Stolarczyk; Coulibaly, Coady, Okoli, Kristiansen; Soumare, Skipp; Buonanotte, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Daka
Key Stats
- Friday’s clash will be the fourth FA Cup meeting between Manchester United and Leicester City. The Red Devils won the first two (3-1 in the 1962/63 final, 2-1 in the 1975/76 fifth round), while the Foxes won 3-1 in the most recent game in the 2020/21 quarter-final on their way to lifting the trophy.
- Manchester United have already beaten Leicester City twice at Old Trafford this season (5-2 in the EFL Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League), with current Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy in charge of United for both wins. The Red Devils have never won three home games against one club in a season before, with Manchester City against Chelsea in 2022/23 the last time a Premier League side did so against a fellow top-flight opponent.
- Manchester United have won 16 of their last 18 home FA Cup matches (D2), although one of those draws ended in elimination on penalties by Middlesbrough in February 2022. The most recent visiting side to win in regulation time at Old Trafford were Arsenal in March 2015, a 2-1 victory.
- Leicester City have progressed from seven of their last eight FA Cup fourth-round ties. The other was a 4-1 away defeat to Nottingham Forest in 2021/22.
- Manchester United have lost five of their last seven home games (W2). On the other hand, Leicester City have won just one of their nine most recent away competitive games (D1 L7).
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
While Patson Daka and Patrick Dorgu were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as our Player to Watch for Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash between Manchester United and Leicester City, considering his exceptional recent record in the FA Cup.
The Manchester United captain has been involved in ten goals in his last ten FA Cup appearances for the Red Devils (G7 A3), scoring their goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the third round this season. So, Ruben Amorim will install his compatriot as his go-to man to deliver the goods in the final third this week.
Prediction
Manchester United 3-1 Leicester City
Ruud van Nistelrooy returns to Old Trafford for the first time since his memorable stint as the interim manager ended in November. However, with Leicester City struggling for momentum, the Dutchman cannot engage in niceties with his former club, with a victory critical to his team’s fortunes.
However, Leicester City’s defensive record has been abysmal, with the Foxes conceding at least two goals in 14 of their last 15 games across competitions. The visitors were also dreadful at the back in the third round, with Queens Park Rangers scoring twice against them.
The defensive shortcomings will be the away side’s undoing, even though they will take the game to Manchester United. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Ruben Amorim and his charges, and the Portuguese tactician will hope the result helps his charges build momentum in the coming weeks.
