Manchester United are finally in the kind of form they’ve wanted to be in all season, and that gives them the chance to start trading blows with the other heavyweights in England. First, though, they need to keep beating the smaller teams in the EPL, and that means beating Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve.
Manchester United vs. Middlesbrough 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Manchester United look to continue their good form as they round the halfway mark of the EPL season.
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
This match is a big opportunity for Manchester to pull closer to the top four, with fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur just three points ahead of them and Arsenal just one more point ahead in fourth. With the momentum Manchester are carrying right now and a little bit of luck, they could easily find themselves in the top four once rapid-fire chaos of the holiday period is over.
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), NBC Universo (U.S. - Spanish)
Online: NBC Sports Live (U.S.)
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Three big things to know
- Manchester United have quietly slipped into a fantastic vein of form, winning five all-competitions matches in a row and avoiding a loss for almost two full months. Jose Mourinho has drawn a lot of criticism for his work in charge of the Red Devils this season — much of it rightfully so — but as they reach the halfway point of the EPL season, he still has his team looking and playing a lot better than they have in years.
- Middlesbrough, on the other hand, have been struggling, with three losses in their last five matches. It’s been long enough since they looked truly impressive that Middlesbrough fans are dreading this match — facing an in-form United side when your own team is anything but in form is a daunting task, and another bad loss could send them spinning even further down the table.
- What Middlesbrough could have going for them, though, is Alvaro Negredo. He has scored two braces in his last five matches, though he hasn’t done a whole lot in the other three matches in that time. He’s been a bit all-or-nothing for Middlesbrough this season, but he does have a history of showing up against bigger teams. If he can do so in this match, his team just might be able to make something of the day, after all.
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