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Crystal Palace v Man United: Red Devils to exploit leaky defence

| 14.12.2016

Manchester United are set to reach nine games unbeaten in style with a victory at Selhurst Park, as they square off against a Crystal Palace side whose defensive woes have dragged them into a relegation battle.

The visitors impressed against Tottenham last weekend, with United’s 1-0 victory marking the first time Spurs have failed to score in seven games – and continued an impressive defensive record for the Red Devils, who have now conceded just four in six.

At the other end, United have a striker in electric form in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The masterly Swede has netted seven times in as many games, including a pair of doubles in that period.

That means the Evens for him to score anytime looks very generous indeed, though the 5/1 for the former PSG ace to net two or more goals could offer even better value.

History certainly suggests United are unlikely to fall short in this fixture. They’ve won five and drawn one of their last six Premier League meetings with the Eagles, while the North-West giants also came out on top against Palace in the 2016 FA Cup final.

For their part, Alan Pardew’s side have looked marginally better in their last two games, following a miserable run of results. However, the 20 goals they’ve shipped in the last seven games speaks volumes about their defensive frailty.

Still, they have tended to get on the scoresheet at the other end, so the 5/2 on offer for Man United to win and both teams to score could prove very popular.

If the hosts are to find the net, chances are Christian Benteke will be the man celebrating. He’s put away five goals since the start of November, and it’s 2/1 for his name to light up the Selhurst scoreboard once again.

In the match betting, Crystal Palace are 15/4 for victory, with Man United 4/6 favourites and 14/5 on offer for the draw.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing

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Author

Dave Burin

Dave graduated with an MA in English Literature at Durham University, and worked in marketing before joining the Ladbrokes News team. A Man United fan and avid groundhopper, he’s also an ardent follower of Rugby League. You can usually find him at a ground near you, clutching a big cup of tea.