After Saints took the spoils in a 2-1 victory at relegated Middlesbrough on Saturday, Manchester United visit St Mary’s on Wednesday, looking to keep their top six hopes alive.
Jose Mourinho’s men are in a spot of bother of late, having won once in their last six games in all competitions. Southampton hope to pick up where they left off and take the confidence from their last game into this one.
Saints go into this game knowing they can give United a crack, having played them twice this season already, producing gutsy displays in both, but being unlucky in the outcome. One of these games was the EFL Cup final at Wembley, where a dominant Saints fought back from 2-0 down against a relatively poor United side, only for a Zlatan Ibrahimovic header to break Saints’ hearts at the death.
United’s loss at Spurs on Sunday means they can no longer finish in the top four, however they can still qualify for the Champions League if they win the Europa League against Ajax. Claude Puel’s men, with a top eight finish still a possibility, will be looking to finish the season strongly, with Stoke City at home on Sunday the curtain call for the season.
I’ve taken a look at the potentially key battles in this game, and discussed where the game could be won or lost.
