Wayne Rooney will be forever a legend at Manchester United. The former England captain left the Theatre of Dreams as the record goalscorer for the Red Devils, but he will be set for only his second game against Manchester United this week as Derby County come up against United in the FA Cup at Pride Park.
Rooney was brought back to the English game in the summer from DC United, but he only joined his new club in the winter transfer window after the MLS season had ended. It is set to be an emotional evening for the legendary striker, but his Derby side are rank outsiders to get the win against United on Thursday evening.
FA Cup Odds
| Moneyline | Spread | |
| Derby County | +480 | +1.5 (-138) |
| Manchester United | -185 | -1.5 (+118) |
United In Good Form
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was expected by many to struggle in the hot-seat at Old Trafford, but he has ensured that United are still fighting on multiple fronts in the second half of the season. The Red Devils are unbeaten in nine fixtures, which also includes a win over Chelsea. Their last defeat coming against Liverpool in January. United safely got through to the next round of the Europa League following a comfortable 5-0 win over Club Brugge last week, but they did miss their chance to close the gap on the top four by drawing against Everton last time out.
United went behind in that game at Goodison Park in the opening ten minutes as David De Gea smashed a ball directly at Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, the Red Devils dragged themselves level with Bruno Fernandes scoring his third goal in as many games. United have a huge fixture this coming weekend against Manchester City, but Solskjaer will be determined that United end the season with a trophy, and the FA Cup could be their best chance to fulfil that target.
Championship Struggles For Derby
It hasn’t been the best of season’s for Derby County. They were expected by many to be fighting for promotion in England’s second tier, but instead they currently find themselves in 13th place in the league. Rooney’s arrival has had an impact, as he has already scored three goals and made two assists in eleven league games.
Derby will come into this game off the back of a positive result in their last league game against Sheffield Wednesday. The Rams were 3-0 up in that fixture within 30 minutes as Tom Lawrence scored a brace, and there was also a goal for Jason Knight. Josh Windass did pull one back for Sheffield Wednesday, but Derby were good value for all three points. This match against United will be a completely different proposition however, and they will have to put in their best performance of the season to get the win.
FA Cup Prediction: Derby vs United
The FA Cup is known for its unpredictability, but it would seem extremely unlikely that this Derby side will be able to get a positive result against United. Solskjaer will field a strong team, and that will ensure that the Red Devils get through to the next round of the competition.
Tip: Manchester United
