Manchester United vs Cardiff City 12/05/19

12 May 2019

Out-of-form Manchester United welcome relegated Cardiff City to Old Trafford for the final Premier League fixture, hoping to greet disappointed home fans with dignity.

A poor haul of two points from their last four PL outings has left the hosts without a chance to secure a top-four finish, as they seem to be heading to the Europa League play-offs. The Red Devils have now won just two of their last 11 games across all competitions, but they have suffered seven defeats in that period (W2, D2, L7). Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have struggled to find the net in five of those failures while allowing over 1.5 match goals six times in the process. Additionally, the 3-time Champions League winners have endured mixed fortunes over their last seven PL home games (W3, D3, L1), preventing their rivals from scoring only once in that span. However, if United win here, it will probably see Cardiff concede 2+ goals given the fact all ten of Man Utd’s PL home triumphs have seen them net over 1.5 goals.

On the other hand, the visitors return to Championship one year after securing the Premier League promotion following an underwhelming campaign that has seen them lose 24 of 37 league fixtures. Uncomfortable away from home, the Bluebirds have returned just 35.48% of their total PL points on the road (11 of 31), with two of their three PL away wins coming against teams from the bottom half of the table. Also, Neil Warnock’s men have not only lost all five of their away H2H meetings with the PL’s top-six teams, but they have conceded over 1.5 match goals in each. Cardiff’s tally of 11 goals scored away from home is PL’s joint-lowest, with the Bluebirds failing to find the net on ten of 18 PL road trips this term. Unprolific in the final third, they have struggled to score in four of their last five PL away fixtures.