"I’d like to see goals" - Dimitar Berbatov predicts surprise scoreline for Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Dimitar Berbatov has delivered his prediction for the match between Manchester United and Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend. The retired striker believes both sides could cancel each other out and play out a draw in the match.
Manchester United head into the encounter at Villa Park eight points and two places behind Unai Emery's side, who are fourth in the standings. The Red Devils will face them on the back of a morale-boosting last few games, where they are undefeated in five, with three successive wins.
Aston Villa have been one of the season's surprise packages, reaching as high as second in the league at the midway point of the campaign. They won their last league match by five unreplied goals against Sheffield United, but were soundly beaten by Chelsea in midweek Cup action.
Dimitar Berbatov predicted a 2-2 draw, according to Metro UK, as he believes both sides have quality young players. He said:
"A draw with goals because both teams have great young players that are hungry for goals and they’re hungry to show how good they are. Based on this, I’d like to see goals, but I cannot call who will win this one."
Erik ten Hag and his team got the better of Aston Villa earlier in the season when they recovered from two goals down at Old Trafford to win 3-2. They are well-positioned to extend their winning run when they face Emery's side, as they have looked like a rejuvenated outfit in recent weeks.
Manchester United set to target Juventus youngster
The arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner of Manchester United has gotten the fans excited as they expect real investment into the squad. The Red Devils were shackled by FFP regulations in January but will be able to spend more in the summer.
With both Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans likely to leave the club at the end of the season, the Red Devils are looking at bringing in young defenders. One player in their sights is Juventus teenage star Dean Huijsen, who is currently on loan at Roma.
According and Football Italia, Manchester United are interested in signing the 18-year-old, who is valued at around £26 million by his club. The youngster has impressed greatly in his brief time in senior football so far, and his club may be open to selling him for the right price.