It goes without saying that the English Premier League is now the most popular football league on the planet, with over three billion people globally tuning in each season to watch its matches. If one were to ask most casual fans about the most well-known EPL brand worldwide, there is little doubt that the aggregated answer would be Man United. The club, founded in 1878, has constantly maintained as a top-performing team in the English league system.

However, many fans would accurately state that it has seen better days, as the club has not won the Premiership trophy in a decade. Moreover, its manager, Dutchman Erik ten Hag, is coming under fire from supporters, with many believing that he will soon get sacked for Man United’s underperforming under his leadership.

There is no doubt that The Red Devils have a not-so-terrific start to the EPL season, and the same goes for their Champions League campaign. Before both the 2023/2024 competitions got underway, most online bookmakers UK sites believed that the club could build on the positive momentum attained last season, with many putting them and Liverpool as the third most likely team to lift the Football League Trophy.

In terms of their Champions League chances, sportsbooks were less optimistic, listing around a 17.00 coefficient for Man United going all the way in Europe’s top-flight club tournament. That said, things have not developed splendidly so far, and below, we look at the club’s chances to do something in Europe and the wagering opportunities that are active on this quest.

The Injury Situation

For some time now, Man United has been without two full-backs, Shaw and Bissaka, a cause for prolonged concern for the Reds. Wan-Bissaka has been out of action since his late substitution in the home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in mid-September. While, Shaw has not been on the pitch in the Red Devils’ kit for an even longer duration. He only got featured in two matches this season, in the initial fixtures of the 2023/24 season, against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur.

Per Ten Hag, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not far from starting to train with his squad mates, and Luke Shaw is unlikely to return before the next international break. Thankfully, Raphael Varane’s recent absence was primarily due to tactical reasons, and Casemiro’s ankle injury is healing well, and he should get fielded relatively soon. Sergio Reguilon has also made a comeback to training and should play in early November.

Can Man United Qualify for the Round of 16?

Manchester United opened their CL campaign with a defeat of Bayern Munich away, 4-3, at the start of Group A. Then, they incurred a second loss at Old Trafford of 3-2 to Turkish Champion Galatasaray and won at home against Copenhagen, thanks to an Onana penalty save and a Maguire header.

While the first place is out of reach, beating Galatasaray in Turkey and Copenhagen away is feasible, with the Turks not triumphing in their two other fixtures. The opening odds for The Red Devils to advance to the knockout stage were 3.75 at most bookmakers, and today, bookies give them a 41.0 coefficient to grab the Championship Trophy. Those are better odds than what Group A’s second-place competitor, Galatasaray, is getting by a wide margin. Also, according to UEFA, the club has a 22% chance of progressing, or that is what the historical data states. 

Man United Wagering Opportunities to Consider

Betting on United coming on top in Denmark against Copenhagen is a pretty reasonable bet, with most sportsbooks seeing England’s most decorated club as a favorite. We also would wager on Erik ten Hag getting the boot by New Year, and the club advancing to the best of sixteen also not being a bad bet. Nevertheless, we would avoid wagering that the Red Devils will reach the semi-finals or go all the way.