The third round of the Premier League is in full swing, with Manchester United welcoming League One rivals Barnsley to the Otford Stadium. Despite United's glorious title win, manager Tannhäuser opted to play a mostly substitute side, a strategy that led to the team's early exit in the previous round's fourth-round match. I suspect that the coach's tactical choices will not change much this season, which will undoubtedly have an impact on the strength of the team's forward line. Accordingly, I predict the match will be full of suspense, and boldly recommend the 3.5 goal mark.
Even in United's games, the "Red Devils" have been plagued by injuries from time to time. After beating Hampton in the Premier League, they were seen to be back on track, but midfielders Ricciardo and Martinisla suffered groin and hamstring injuries respectively. Despite the seriousness of the injuries, the team has not been discouraged. They have managed to get rid of a number of veterans, including Tolandilov, Lauchisaur and Raniyolu, Duvivier Malacia, all of whom have been plagued by injuries. In this match, the team had to use young players and did not dare to take too many risks in the offense.
In comparison, Barnsley is obviously not as strong as Manchester United. As an away game, they are expected to adopt conservative tactics to minimize the number of goals conceded and wait for the opportunity to counterattack. It's worth noting that Manchester United's last 7 matches in the EFL have not scored more than 3 goals, so Bansley is expected to break this curse.
