Viktoria Plzen v Manchester United: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Viktoria Plzen and Manchester United put their unbeaten records in the UEFA Europa League on the line when they clash in the Czech Republic on Thursday.

There is work to be done for United to break into the top eight and avoid having to play an extra round in the knockout stages.

The Red Devils are on nine points from five games although they picked up victories at home to PAOK (2-0) and Bodo/Glimt (3-2) either side of the November break.

Plzen are second in the Czech top flight standings and their European progress has been very similar to United’s.

They started off with three successive draws before picking up a pair of 2-1 wins at home to Real Sociedad and ‘away’ to Dynamo Kiev in neutral Germany.

Viktoria Plzen v Manchester United betting tips and predictions

Draw - 31/10

United are under pressure after sustaining back-to-back Premier League defeats but they can stem the negative tide by securing a point against Plzen at Doosan Arena.

Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford was received positively by the majority of United fans but it is no great surprise to see him struggling to make much of a short term impact.

The Portuguese’s first four Premier League games have yielded just four points and any remaining doubts over the scale of his task were erased on Saturday with the 3-2 loss at home to Nottingham Forest.

United’s defeat left them 13th in the Premier League but there is very little time for reflection as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast.

Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad will be a hugely important fixture and it is followed four days later by an EFL Cup quarter-final at Tottenham

Amorim is likely to make a few changes from the weekend starting XI and will be seeking a steelier edge than was the case against Forest, when there was an obvious vulnerability against set-pieces and counter-attacks.

From a Plzen perspective, they will be eager to pit their wits against one of world football’s famous clubs.

However, they also have plenty of positive recent European experience having reached the quarter-finals of last season’s Conference League.

The Czech side faced a step up in class in the UEFA Europa League but they have handled it well and achieved some eye-catching results, including a 3-3 draw away to Eintracht Frankfurt and the 2-1 success at home to Sociedad.

They are unbeaten in 13 home games and can extend the run with a draw against United.

Pavel Sulc to score at any time - 11/4

Rising star Pavel Sulc has been Plzen’s outstanding player over the last 12 months and he looks overpriced to get on the scoresheet here.

The 23-year-old was the Czech top flight’s second top scorer last season with 18 goals.

This term the attacking midfielder has 10 goals in all competitions and he looks the man most likely to expose a suspect visiting defence.

Cadu to be booked - 7/2

Plzen’s Brazilian right wing-back Cadu loves a tackle and he looks an attractive price to enter Romanian referee Marian Barbu’s notebook.

Cadu has made 11 fouls in the League Phase of this competition without being booked but his luck may be about to run out.

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.

Viktoria Plzen v Manchester United odds

Viktoria Plzen - 19/4
Draw - 31/10
Manchester United - 4/7

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.