"Not a great threat" - Mark Lawrenson predicts scoreline for Manchester United vs Wolverhampton
Liverpool legend and football pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted a routine victory for Manchester United when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers. The two teams are set to clash in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday, May 13.
United will enter this match fourth in the league standings with 63 points from 34 matches. However, they cannot afford any slip-ups as fifth-placed Liverpool, who are on a six-game win streak, are just a point behind having played a match more.
Wolves, meanwhile, were mired in a relegation battle earlier in the season. However, they have picked up 30 points from 20 league games under Julen Lopetegui to move to 13th in the table with 40 points from 35 matches.
Lawrenson believes the Red Devils should be able to dispose of their upcoming opponents, especially with the match taking place at Old Trafford. He wrote in his prediction column for Paddy Power:
"Manchester United have lost their last two, but Wolves are not a great threat in front of goal, so I'm going with United. Manchester United 2-0 Wolves."
As Lawrenson referred to in his prediction, Erik ten Hag's side will enter this match after 1-0 losses away to Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United. However, they have won 12 of their 16 league games at Old Trafford this term, losing just once.
Wolves, meanwhile, have scored just 30 goals in 35 league games this term. However, they have also conceded just 40, which is incidentally lower than United's 41. Lopetegui's men will enter this match after beating Aston Villa 1-0 in their last game. Prior to that, they were drubbed 6-0 by Brighton.
Manchester United edged Wolves earlier this season
Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have already clashed once in the Premier League this season. That game took place at the Molineux on New Year's Eve last year.
Both teams put in an insipid attacking display in the first half, creating very few clear-cut opportunities. United improved in the second half, but still struggled to find a goal against a solid Wolves defense.
They eventually broke the deadlock with 15 minutes to go in regulation thanks to Marcus Rashford's brilliance. Rashford took two men on and beat them before sliding a finish past Jose Sa in the 76th minute. The Englishman also had another goal ruled out as the game ended 1-0 in favor of the visitors.
It's worth noting, however, that Wolves beat Manchester United the last time they clashed at Old Trafford back in January 2022 by the same margin. Joao Moutinho scored an 82nd-minute winner on that occasion.