FC Astana Vs Manchester United Betting Tips: Over 2.5 Goals – 28 November 2019

Goals the order of the day in Astana?

Yvgeni Postnikov /Astana©imago images / Colorsport 27.11.2019

FC Astana Vs Manchester United

Thursday 28 November 2019 – 15:50 Kick-Off
UEFA Europa League
Pick: Over 2.5 Goals
Odds: 5/6
Bookmaker: MoPlay

(All betting odds displayed were correct as of 27 November at 00:30)

UEFA Europa League Betting – 22Bet

Preview: A peculiar contest in Group L of the Europa League as teams with nothing tangible left to play for meet in the early kick-off at the Astana Arena in Kazakhstan. Will Manchester United cap a successful group campaign with another victory or can Astana spring one last surprise in front of a home crowd?

 

FC Astana Vs Manchester United Live Stats & Betting Odds

 

Astana Preview – Can a miserable group campaign end on a high?

Two weeks have passed since a ball was last kicked with any real purpose. That is due to the Premier League season in Kazakhstan drawing to a close earlier in the month, as FC Astana (4th – W0 D0 L4, GF1 GA14) were crowned domestic champions for a second successive term. No complaints on that particular front then. In Europe meanwhile, not so much, with the club already resigned to exiting the competition.

Failure to register a positive result of any kind unfortunately means their participation will cease to be upon the conclusion of the group phase. Four straight defeats, a couple of them respectable (Man Utd 1-0 (A) and Partizan 1-2 (H)) and a couple less so (losing 6-0 and 0-5 to AZ Alkmaar), has led to a somewhat predictable demise for the lowest ranked team in this section. All they can really strive for now is ensuring the campaign doesn’t end pointless.

The Yellow and Blues should be in determined mood therefore, keen to put on one last show in front of a home crowd. Those heavy defeats to AZ Alkmaar are difficult to dismiss. However, this is still a team with a useful record at home this season. Particularly in Europe, winning four out of four in Kazakhstan during qualification. A couple of those being very creditable indeed, beating the mildly recognisable duo of CFR Cluj (second in Group E) and BATE Borisov (reached knockouts last season).

 

 

Man Utd & Both teams to Score
10/3

Bet365

 

Manchester United Preview – Ole to experiment in final two games?

For much of this group, the football on show was hardly vintage. Nonetheless it would still be fair to summarise Manchester United (1st – W3 D1 L0, GF5 GA0) already qualifying for the latter stages as something more akin to being routine. None of their opponents would truly test them, nor were any genuinely put to the sword, with a 3-0 victory at home to Partizan Belgrade as wild as it got for the 2015-16 Europa League winners.

There is still the small matter of topping the group, which would enhance the prospects of them receiving a more favourable tie for the knockouts. Although, with progress now assured, there must now be a temptation for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to field a number of fringe players. The Norwegian has shown a reluctance to make wholesale changes in this competition but with his squad threadbare as it is, it would be reckless risking too many first team personnel.

Should there be a raft of new faces on the team sheet, The Red Devils could find themselves struggling to replicate some vastly improved form of late. Scoring three goals in each of their previous three games (W2 D1) is marked improvement on some earlier efforts in this competition, in which only two were scored across their opening three fixtures. The latest of which an enthralling 3-3 draw away to Sheffield United in the Premier League, coming from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, only to then concede a late equaliser.

 

FC Astana Vs Manchester United Key Facts:

  • Astana are in last place in Group L, after losing all four of their group matches thus far and by a combined aggregate of 1-14.
  • Manchester United, who have claimed 10 out of 12 available points so far (W3 D1), are already through to the knockout phase of the competition.
  • Less than 20 minutes stood between Astana and a memorable result when these teams met in Manchester on Matchday 1, with Man Utd eventually prevailing 1-0.

 

Betting Summary

Champions of Kazakhstan they most definitely now are. Astana (11/5 Betfair) would, however, struggle to hold their own in this group, losing all four games and conceding a bucketload of goals along the way. Manchester United (27/20 MoPlay), meanwhile, are already through to the next round of the competition and are expected to make full use of their squad for this most unwanted of away days out. The Red Devils won all but one of their group matches (W3 D1).

Unfortunately, all value about the home side has disappeared before our eyes. Earlier in the week the odds on Astana were twice that of those now. That leads me to seek out alternatives, with goals the obvious approach. The hosts have seen both their previous group fixtures in Kazakhstan produce over 2.5 goals; with them keen to sign off on a more positive note in front of a home crowd, along with many in United colours desperate to maximise some rare exposure, there is reason to believe some goals could be in order.