3 Key battles That Will Decide Manchester United’s Fate Against Stoke City

Manchester United vs Stoke City: 3 Key Battles

Manchester United return to Premier League duty with a game against one of this season’s surprise packages, Stoke City. United are coming off a 3-1 win over Derby in the FA Cup but in their last match in the league, they ended up losing 1-0 at home. Southampton were the team that inflicted United’s first loss in four games and Stoke City will be looking to repeat their heroics as they also ha defeated the team from Manchester in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

Louis van Gaal knows that anything less than a win will not only put Manchester United further away from the top four but will also heap a ton of pressure on him as he looks to keep his position at the club. United did play a good game against Derby but Stoke City will be different opposition.

The Potters were unlucky to miss out on a League Cup final after losing out on penalties to Liverpool and will be looking to bounce back from the semi-final exit. With Wayne Rooney being the main goal threat for Manchester United, the Stoke City defence will have to be at their best to keep him quiet. We look at an intriguing game in the Premier League and select the three main battles that can decide the game.

1. Wayne Rooney vs. Philip Wollscheid

Wayne Rooney has found his goal scoring boots once again and seems a threat against the less-drilled teams but Mark Hughes’ side will be anything but that when they visit Old Trafford. Rooney will probably lead the line for United and that would mean going up against the German Wollscheid who has had an excellent season thus far for Stoke City.

With Ryan Shawcross doubtful for the game, the onus on keeping the Manchester United forward quiet would fall on the 26-year-old, who could well put his mark on the match with a great display.

2. Juan Mata vs. Erik Pieters

Juan Mata was the one player who turned the game around against Derby in the FA Cup. The Spaniard might not be a winger but he does put in a great shift whenever Louis van Gaal wants him to and he capped off a great game with a wonderful goal.

Erik Pieters is another player who has done well for Stoke this season and he too would have to be at his best to deal with the crafty Mata. The good thing for Pieters is that he might have the speed advantage over the Spanish star but Mata would probably use all his experience and wit to get the better of the Stoke City defender.

3. Chris Smalling vs. Jon Walters

Stoke City could miss out on the services of Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic, which would mean that the goal scoring impetus falls on the shoulders of Jon Walters, not the kind of striker you would expect from Stoke these days. The Irishman though is certainly built for the old way of playing that Stoke employed and he could look to make the lives of the Manchester United centre-back pairing very difficult.

Chris Smalling would have his work cut out trying to keep the Stoke forward in his pocket during the game and if the English defender does achieve that, Manchester United would have a great chance of not losing the game, if not going for the win at least.