Manchester United vs. Southampton | Capital One Cup Final Preview

Manchester United and Southampton will fight for the first domestic cup trophy this campaign! The final match in The Capital One Cup will take place on Sunday and will be held at The Wembley Stadium.

The Red Devils have won the tournament on 4 occasions, as they have also been the runners-up 4 times. However, they have won the last 3 final games in this competition they took part in. The last time Manchester United won the Capital One Cup was 2010.

On the other hand, The Saints have only reached the final of the cup once. That has happened in 1979 and they have lost it to Nottingham Forest. Actually, the only cup Southampton have won is The FA Cup in 1976, when they have beaten exactly Manchester United (1-0) at the same Wembley Stadium.

To continue with, Manchester United have a huge advantage in the Head to Head battle against Southampton. The Red Devils have won 62 matches, while there have been 29 draws and 28 victories for The Saints. That’s why United are the favourites for winning the Capital One Cup. In addition, the Jose Mourinho’s players have been in an outstanding form. They have won 5 consecutive games. Moreover, Manchester United have lost only once in the previous 25 games in all competitions!

Southampton have recorded 3 defeats in their last 4 competitive games. Furthermore, The Saints have lots of problems with injuries. Charlie Austin, who is one of the main forwards is going to miss the games in the next couple of months. The midfielder Sofiane Boufal is suffering from an ankle injury, while Matt Targett has a hamstring problem. The key defender Virgil van Dijk has also been ruled out of the squad, because of his ankle injury.

Wayne Rooney didn’t take part in Manchester United’s match against Saint-Etienne, because of a minor injury problem. However, the top Man United goal-scorer ever is doubtful for the final. Michael Carrick will also have to pass a late fitness test, as he was suffering from a calf injury. Surely, Mkhitaryan will be fit for the big match, while Phil Jones won’t be ready to take part in the final.

In conclusion, in my opinion Jose Mourinho is the better manager and he will surely outsmart his colleague. I expect Manchester United to lift the trophy. It will be a difficult match for The Red Devils, but they are also the more quality team and will eventually beat The Saints.