Who: Manchester United vs Ipswich Town
What: English Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August ۳۰, at ۴:۳۰pm (۱۵:۳۰ GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from ۱۲:۳۰ GMT before our live text commentary stream
United face Ipswich Town with the hosts badly in need of a win after a shock defeat in their opening game.
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Michael Carrick was rewarded with the United job on a permanent basis after guiding the Red Devils to third in the Premier League last season during an interim spell in charge.
However, the new campaign got off to the worst possible start for Carrick with a ۲-۰ defeat at newly-promoted Hull last weekend.
Meanwhile, Ipswich, who were also promoted from the Championship last season, got off to a dream start in their first game of the season, winning ۲-۱ at home to Sunderland.
Ipswich also saw off Leicester City ۳-۱ in the League Cup in midweek and will fancy their chances of springing an upset against the Red Devils.
A defeat for United would see them become the first team in Premier League history to start a season with back-to-back losses against promoted sides.
Carrick’s side gets early reality check at Hull
United arrived in Hull on Saturday riding a wave of optimism that had not washed over Old Trafford for years. But they were ripped to shreds by the rampant Tigers as first-half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy caused a shock at the MKM Stadium.
United were toothless in attack and inept at the back, a fatal combination that allowed promoted Hull to celebrate their return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence – and a first league win over United for ۵۲ years.
“We have a bit to improve on; it was never going to be perfect. Going behind makes it more difficult, against a promoted team at home,” Carrick said after the game.
He added: “It is one game. First game of the season. It is disappointing enough, it hurts, of course it does.
“But it doesn’t change the whole course of direction the team is going in or the football club. We will stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week.”
New United signing Baleba out for three weeks
Carrick said Carlos Baleba will be unable to make his Manchester United debut for about three weeks due to an ankle injury, but that he is excited by the Cameroonian’s “massive potential”.
Baleba’s ۷۰-million-pound ($۹۵m) move from Brighton further bolstered Carrick’s midfield options after the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
But United could have to wait until October to see Baleba in action as he faces a race against time to return before a three-week international break next month.
“He’s got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks. We’ll see but we knew that before, so it’s no major issue but it’ll be great to have him back when we can,” Carrick said at his pre-match news conference before Ipswich’s visit.
“We’re delighted to have Carlos. I think [he has] huge potential, massive potential. I think he’s a really exciting signing for us.
“I think the quality that he has, the attributes that he has that offsets a little bit of the balance of the group that we’ve got. Different strengths, different combinations.”
Ipswich earn cathartic win in first game of season
Jack Clarke’s late strike secured a cathartic victory last Saturday for Ipswich Town, whose ۲-۱ win over Sunderland underscored the club’s desire to shake off the memories of a dismal ۲۰۲۴-۲۵ Premier League campaign.
Ipswich won only once after December ۲۰۲۴ as their return to the top flight following two decades in the lower tiers ended in a ۱۹th-place finish and relegation back to the Championship.
But the club earned another promotion last season, and marked their return to the big time with a victory that drew an emotional response from the roaring crowd at Portman Road.
“They pushed us on, they kept us going … We finished really strong and that’s a credit to the fans,” Ipswich captain Dara O’Shea, who has been at the club since ۲۰۲۴, said.
Ipswich won only once at Portman Road in the ۲۰۲۴-۲۵ Premier League campaign, which started with a ۱۰-game winless streak.
But the stadium has been hard to breach for visitors in the last year, with Ipswich unbeaten in home league games since October ۲۰۲۵.
“It took the club a long time to win last time in the Premier League so to put one on the board is nice. But one win won’t get us where we need to get to,” said manager Gary O’Neil.
Prediction
The Opta supercomputer has made Manchester United the favourites, with a win probability of ۶۶.۴ percent. Ipswich were given a ۱۵.۳ percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a likelihood of ۱۸.۳ percent.
Head-to-head
The two clubs only faced each other for the first time in ۱۹۵۸ and have now played ۵۹ times, with United winning ۳۰ games, Ipswich winning ۱۹, and ۱۰ matches ending as draws.
Ipswich have not beaten United since ۱۹۹۷, when the Tractor Boys shocked Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils ۲-۰ in the third round of the League Cup.
Last five encounters:
- February ۲۶, ۲۰۲۵: Man Utd ۳-۲ Ipswich (Premier League)
- November ۲۴, ۲۰۲۴: Ipswich ۱-۱ Man Utd (Premier League)
- September ۲۳, ۲۰۱۵: Man Utd ۳-۰ Ipswich (League Cup third round)
- April ۲۷, ۲۰۰۲: Ipswich ۰-۱ Man Utd (Premier League)
- September ۲۲, ۲۰۰۱: Man Utd ۴-۰ Ipswich (Premier League)
What happened the last time the two clubs met?
Harry Maguire’s header earned ۱۰-man Manchester United a ۳-۲ victory over Ipswich Town in February ۲۰۲۵, a victory that pulled then manager Ruben Amorim’s struggling side clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Amorim had endured a miserable time since joining the club the previous November, especially at home, with more Old Trafford pain on the cards after woeful defending let Jaden Philogene in for Ipswich’s early opener.
United responded well, however, and turned the match on its head as an own goal from Ipswich captain Sam Morsy and Matthijs de Ligt’s close-range finish put the hosts in front after ۲۶ minutes.
The game swung again when United defender Patrick Dorgu was sent off two minutes before the break for a late lunge on Omari Hutchinson and the ۱۰ players conceded almost immediately, with Philogene again the Ipswich scorer.
With the visitors having all the second half to make their numerical advantage count, it was Maguire who settled the match just after the interval to earn United the win.
United’s team news
Baleba, Amad Diallo, Tom Heaton, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte are all set to miss United’s first home match of the season through injuries, with Ugarte potentially out until next season with a torn knee ligament.
Predicted starting XI:
Lammens (goalkeeper); Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Mainoo, Andrey Santos; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha
Ipswich’s team news
The Tractor Boys have fewer injury concerns than United, although Azor Matusiwa and Florentino Luis are unavailable.
Predicted starting XI:
Scherpen (goalkeeper); O’Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Nunez, Lukic; Clarke, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn
