Manchester United will be hoping to get back to winning ways on Wednesday night, as the Reds take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
An in-form Newcastle side held United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in Erik ten Hag 's last outing, with Cristiano Ronaldo denied a controversial goal. The point saw United remain in fifth place, just three points off the top four.
Next up for United is high-flying Spurs, with Antonio Conte's side currently sitting third in the Premier League table. The last meeting between these two sides saw United win 3-2 thanks to a Ronaldo hat trick - the third consecutive game against Spurs that United had scored three goals.
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Anthony Martial could return on Wednesday, whilst Scott McTominay returns from suspension. Donny van de Beek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire remain out injured, whilst Christian Eriksen could miss the clash against his former side through illness.
So, could United find a win against a good Spurs side on Wednesday? We simulated the game to find out and this is what happened.
We simulated Manchester United vs Tottenham to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that United could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; McTominay, Casemiro; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo.
We predict that Spurs could line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Lloris; Romero, Dierm Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Perisic, Kane, Son.
Man United got off to the perfect start at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes opening the scoring after just 94 seconds of the game.
From the kick-off, United pushed forward, holding possession on the right. As Spurs pressed United back and moved up the pitch, Lisandro Martnez's long ball caught out the Spurs backline, sending Jadon Sancho free down the wing.
Sancho found Fernandes in the box who made a run forward without being tracked, and the midfielder struck his effort into the bottom corner to put United ahead. Despite going behind, Spurs pushed for the equaliser, with Harry Kane scoring 25 minutes in.
Ryan Sessegnon bundled his way through two challenges on the left before approaching the box, and the defender's low cross into the area was dummied by Heung-Min Son, falling to the feet of Kane. The feint from Son pulled both Martinez and Raphael Varane out of position, allowing Kane a shot on goal as the striker found the far corner of the net.
United were able to regain control of the game after the Spurs equaliser, with Marcus Rashford and Sancho both being denied by Hugo Lloris from outside the box. But, just before the break, a well-worked team move saw Ronaldo put United 2-1 ahead.
Similar to Kane's equaliser, United worked the ball down the left before Rashford squared the ball to Fernandes inside the area. As the midfielder looked to shoot, Ronaldo peeled off his marker and was picked out by the United captain, tapping home from close range.
United had a flurry of chances early in the second half, but couldn't find a way past Lloris. Ten Hag's side defended well in the final 20 minutes to see off Spurs' pressure, holding on for the win.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that an impressive first-half display followed by a strong defensive performance in the second half could see United earn three points on Wednesday. Fernandes was back to his best in the simulation as he grabbed a goal and assist, a sight United fans will be desperate to see.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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