Manchester United-Blackburn Preview

Andrew Jordan by Scribe Written on October 30, 2009
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 21:  Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United goes up for a header with team mate Jonny Evans (R) during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on February 21, 2009 in Manchester, England.  (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat over rival Liverpool at Anfield on October 25 and a 2-0 win at Barnsley on October 27, Manchester United will finally head back to Old Trafford on Halloween, October 31, to take on the Blackburn Rovers.

Meanwhile, Blackburn will come to Old Trafford looking to rebound from a disappointing 5-0 loss at Stamford Bridge, and will try to get themselves away from the dreaded relegation zone.

Last year, Man United beat Blackburn twice at Old Trafford, including a Carling Cup match in which Carlos Tevez scored four goals against Blackburn in a 5-3 win.

Here is a preview of the match for both Manchester United and Blackburn, and what each side needs to do in order to succeed.


Manchester United

Currently in second place in the English Premier League, Manchester United have so far had a great season despite losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez last summer, as players such as Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs have helped United get off to this great start.

Despite all of this, the Manchester United defense has looked terrible so far this season, and the first major key in this match is to prevent defensive turnovers in their own zone that could lead to scoring opportunities for Blackburn.

Also, United will need to forget about that game in Anfield on Sunday and get back on track in the English Premier League.

Finally, Manchester will need to get Wayne Rooney back on the scoresheet, as he hasn't scored a goal in over a month. If he can start scoring, his team will become nearly impossible to beat.


Blackburn

The Blackburn Rovers are currently just two points out of the relegation zone and are looking to get back on track against Man United.

However, the Rovers have only one win in their Premier League history at Old Trafford, and have lost 11 out of the 15 Premier League games they played there.

Blackburn's defense has been terrible this year, conceding a Premier League-leading 22 goals. They have lost two of their last three matches by the scores of 6-2 at Arsenal and 5-0 at Chelsea, so maintaining a strong defense against United is a major key.

Also, Blackburn are going to have to get Franco Di Santo to attack on the United goal, as he has been touted as a star of the future and scored two goals against Burnley two weeks ago.

Finally, Blackburn must get great goalkeeping from Paul Robinson, as the United attack will probably pepper him with shots throughout the match.

Expect a great Premier League match between Manchester United and Blackburn, as both of these teams will look for success, but only one club will leave Old Trafford with the real feeling of accomplishment achieved.

Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who will win this match?

  • Manchester United
  • Blackburn
  • Draw
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

Who will win this match?

  • Manchester United

    83.3%
  • Blackburn

    5.6%
  • Draw

    11.1%
  • Total votes: 18
(0)
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written on October 30, 2009 Preview/Prediction

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