FA Community Shield 2016: Live Stream, TV Schedule, Form Guide and Prediction
Leicester City and Manchester United will get their 2016-17 campaigns started on Sunday, as the Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners will go head-to-head in the 2016 FA Community Shield.
United boss Jose Mourinho will be in charge of his first official match for his new club, taking on a tricky Leicester squad that has struggled in its last few friendlies. However, the Foxes reserved their best football for the big moments last season.
With teams and players still looking for form, contests like these don't always tend to be won by the better team―individual brilliance and simple form often saves the day.
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Date: Sunday, August 7
Time: 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
TV Info: BT Sport 2 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport app, Fox Soccer 2Go
Form Guide
| Oxford United 1-2 Leicester | Wigan Athletic 0-2 United |
| Celtic 1-1 Leicester | Borussia Dortmund 4-1 United |
| PSG 4-0 Leicester | United 5-2 Galatasaray |
| Barcelona 4-2 Leicester | United 0-0 Everton |
Preview
The Premier League champions enter Sunday's contest with two one-sided losses under their belt, conceding eight goals in total against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
For manager Claudio Ranieri's troops, it was their first taste of the kind of competition they'll face in the UEFA Champions League, and some struggles were expected. The Foxes should put together a better performance against a United side that has shown signs of weakness in pre-season.
The Red Devils' new attacking firepower has impressed at times, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan seem ready to take the Premier League by storm. But defensively, United have some serious question marks, and the back line will be tested by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
As shared by the United's official Twitter account, Mourinho believes his players are doing everything possible to adapt to his style:
Continuity is Leicester's main advantage entering Sunday's contest. The Foxes may have lost star midfielder N'Golo Kante this summer, but overall, their preferred starting XI has undergone few changes. The chemistry the side built last season is still there, while their opponents are still integrating several new players and learning to play under a new manager.
Stylistically, this year's Community Shield should be a fantastic battle. Ranieri's team specialised in counter-attacking football last season, while Mourinho has been criticised for his defensive approach in the past but seems to be taking a more positive approach with the Red Devils.
With Mkhitaryan carrying the ball, United are at their best when they control the tempo and take the pressure off their defence―expect them to see much of the ball at Wembley Stadium and work the wings with regularity.
Under normal circumstances, that would play right into the Foxes' hands, but with the team still looking for its best form, United will have plenty of openings. Per Rob Tanner of the Leicester Mercury, Ranieri believes his players are far from ready:
"They trained well, but at this point I don't know very well.
If we are waiting now for the last [season's] Leicester then it is not possible. We will see the same Leicester, we are growing up now.
We are in pre-season and we are at 60 percent of our top and I hope we recover well.
"
United have the advantage in terms of individual quality, but Leicester's chemistry should not be underestimated. This year's Community Shield has all the makings of a close encounter, which is great news for the neutral fans.
Prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Manchester United
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