Manchester United vs. Borussia Dortmund Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Manchester United continues its US preseason tour against Borussia Dortmund. The two former European champs meet at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday at 9 pm ET. As time goes by, the rivals for both units are getting tougher and tougher, which is normal as both teams have to start their seasons shortly. United has already met some of the top European clubs, while Dortumd’s real tests start now. 

Preview

Manchester United (+120) opened the preseason games with three victories in a row, against Leeds, Lyon, and Arsenal, but after that lost to Wrexham (second team and youth squad) and Real Madrid. 

Over the course of the opening 270 minutes, we haven’t seen the Red Devils allowing a single goal, while on the other hand, they netted five combined. Leeds was beaten, 2-0, Lyon, 1-0 and Arsenal, 2-0.

However, against Real Madrid, United came short of providing a decent performance. They weren’t competitive despite having possession of the ball, and they couldn’t breach the tough block in front of Real’s box. That’s why we saw them losing 2-0. Typical striker is the biggest issue this team needs to fix because Rashford can’t be the closest to the opponents’ goal. Other than that, the defense looks more or less solid, as well as the midfield. 

Borussia Dortmund (+195) met with some lower-tier clubs. They beat Westfalia Rhynern 7-0, then Oberhausen, 2-3, Erfurt, 1-2, before meeting their first US opponent on American soil, San Diego Loyal. They would routinely trash the Americans, 6-0.

We saw no changes in their approach on the field, with the Millionaires still using high pressing, high intensity and very quick transition. The defense showed a few problems along the way, which is also nothing new for this backline.

Jude Belingham’s departure left a hole in the middle, but on the other hand, Sabitzer came and he should be a decent replacement for the young Englishman, who is now in Real Madrid. Haller is in the attack, and we can’t wait to see the Cote d’Ivoire in his best form. 

Latest News

Martial and Malacia are questionable for the Red Devils due to hard knocks. 

Julien Duranville and Nico Schlotterbeck will probably skip this event due to injuries earned against San Diego. 

Head to Head Games

In 2016, the two clubs met in the International Champions Cup, and Dortmund smashed United, winning 4-1. 

Prior to this, we’ve seen them in the 1997 Champions League semis, when Borussia won in both games with a minimal result, 1-0. The Millionaires were better than Juventus that year in the finals. 

Predictions

United didn’t look that good against Real Madrid, and we’ve seen them struggling to get things going. For Borussia, this will be the first meeting against a top team, and the Millionaires will for sure use different tactics. Our pick here would be moderate efficiency, meaning 2 or 3 goals, with the odds on that at +105. None of the teams will attack, and since they are also in a competitive rhythm, we expect to see a more tactical approach to the situation on the field. 

Pick: 2 or 3 goals +105