Manchester United vs. Cambridge: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info
Manchester United's FA Cup replay with League Two middleweights Cambridge United is a formality on paper, but with Chelsea and Manchester City being eliminated at home by lower-league opposition, Louis van Gaal will be taking nothing for granted.
The famous English challenge cup is the Red Devils' best chance of silverware this term, and LvG will be aware a defeat to the U's will destroy the morale in his camp.
The bookies have United as the overwhelming favourites to win the game at 1-12, with the draw at a huge price of 10-1, per Oddschecker.com. And if you fancy a flutter on the outsiders, you can grab odds of 40-1 for Cambridge to pull off one of the greatest cup shocks of all time.
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Here is how you can watch this exciting fixture, with live TV, stream information and match preview:
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
TV Info: BT Sport (UK only)/ Fox (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport App (UK only)/ Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S. only)
Van Gaal to Take No Risks
Louis van Gaal did a good job of talking up Cambridge before the FA Cup match at the Abbey Stadium, which produced a goalless draw and forced this replay.
But with the magic of the cup shining bright, the threat of the minnows is a clear and present danger—as countless Premier League teams have discovered in recent weeks.
LvG knows he must once again respect his opponent and is likely to field a very strong side.
The win against Leicester City on Saturday was something of a dress rehearsal for this tie, with the Dutch coach likely to go heavy and hard in his selection.
United do not have to worry about Champions League-induced rotation, so do not expect to see many changes from last weekend.
Van Gaal should stick with his progressive 4-4-2 diamond—with just a tweak to the personnel rather than wholesale changes.
Juan Mata is likely to start following his substitute appearance against the Foxes, and Wayne Rooney is also set to feature after sitting out the first match against Richard Money's side.
Cambridge set up in a 4-2-3-1 against their illustrious opponents last time out, per WhoScored.com, which allowed them to hold a high line and play a longer ball from the back.
The formation also allowed them to press United's shaky defence when possible and made the game exceptionally uncomfortable for Phil Jones, who struggled at times.
| Manchester United | DWLWDW |
| Cambridge United | WWWDDL |
| 1-12 | 10-1 | 40-1 |
Both teams have identical form going into Tuesday night's match, with three wins, two draws and a defeat each—but it is correct to point out that Cambridge are on the slide.
They lost their last match away to Luton Town, 3-2, and they are now without a victory in three games.
United looked in good shape against Leicester in their last match, winning the game 3-1, with some of the Red Devils' attacking talent showing signs of improved chemistry and fitness.
Players To Watch and Key Battles
Angel Di Maria has not consistently sparkled for United since his British-record transfer from Real Madrid, but there were positive signs for the quick Argentinian against Leicester.
ADM definitely appeared more capable and fit against the Foxes, displaying his explosive pace and unpredictable movement.
Leicester could not track the player—who played at the tip of the diamond—and this role suits him more than the centre-forward position LvG has experimented with him in recently.
Striker Tom Elliott struggled against the United defence in the first game, but he is the main danger to David de Gea's goal in the replay.
Elliot has five goals from his 18 appearances this term, per WhoScored.com, and he will be hoping for United mistakes to give him the opportunity of cup glory and chisel his name into English football history.
The key battles will be in the midfield, and last time out, United failed to penetrate the League Two side's central positions.
As previously mentioned, Rooney was missing from the match, and Marouane Fellaini failed to make an impression deputising for the United skipper.
Tom Champion was exceptional in the U's midfield in the original tie, and Cambridge will be hoping that he is once again in explosive form for the replay.
The neutral fan will not be expecting anything but a win for United, but the romance of the cup means anything and everything could happen—and probably will.
The Red Devils need to put Cambridge in their place—as they did in the first half with Leicester—and make sure their opponents feel the game slip rapidly away from them, crushing their hopes.
The FA Cup is currently more important to the north west giants than it has been for a generation, and with a favourable draw for the next round, LvG will want a convincing victory from his men.
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