FA Cup, 5th round, Sunday, 02.03.2025 at 17:30
Manchester United have not been among the elite of English soccer for years. However, the Red Devils are somehow still a serious title contender in the FA Cup.
Last year, the home side surprisingly won the oldest soccer competition in the world. As my Manchester United Fulham betting tip, however, I’m not placing a win bet, but instead playing with Betano odds of 1.87 for “Over 2.5 goals”.
It’s not easy being a Red Devils fan, especially in the current decade. The defending champions are no longer one of the top clubs in English professional soccer and are only slight odds-on favorites against Fulham in the Merkur Bets app with odds of up to 2.35.
However, the miserable seasons of recent years have always paused before the direct duels with Fulham. Manchester United have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Cottagers.
Currently, however, the cup with the better form belongs to the visitors, who have won four of their previous five competitive matches.
If you fancy Marco Silva’s side to have a winning evening, you have a chance of winning the treble.
I’m not keen on a bet on the Cottagers, though. Manchester United have reached at least the quarter-finals in nine of the last 10 editions of the FA Cup.
Moreover, this specific cup competition seems to be a feel-good oasis for the Red Devils. The defending champions survived a difficult matchup against Arsenal in the third round, winning 6-4 on penalties.
Added to this is the recent clean sheet against Fulham in the FA Cup. The hosts have qualified for the next round in each of the last nine FA Cup ties drawn.
In Ruben Amorim’s team, there is pretty much one professional who has been resisting the Red Devils’ threat of mediocrity for years and is regarded as an absolutely exceptional player.
Without captain Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United would be in a much worse position. Since the Portuguese made his Premier League debut five years ago, 48 goals have been scored from his passes. Only Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne have scored more direct goals in the Premier League in this period.
The Red Devils’ last six competitive goals have all come from set pieces. Of course, the 30-year-old has scored every one of them.
Bruno Fernandes has also been very successful in the FA Cup recently and has been directly involved in eleven goals in his eleven previous appearances (7 goals, 4 assists).
If you still have a sports betting bonus available, you won’t do badly with a bet that brings the captain into play.
In addition, we have to talk about Manchester United’s defense. Andre Onana has not been the back-up the Red Devils were hoping for since his signing.
However, he must be given credit for the fact that the defenders in front of him rarely do a good job. 13 of the 23 competitive games under Ruben Amorim did not end before the Red Devils conceded two goals.
Overall, under the Portuguese coach’s guidance, the Amorim team finished 15 of 23 matches with “over 2.5 goals”.
Not necessarily spectacular, but in many cases with at least three goals, Fulham’s competitive matches have recently been spectacular.
The Cottagers have been involved in an “Over 2.5 goals” game in four of their previous five fixtures.
Every single one of those four encounters that contained at least three goals ended in a “Fulham win”.
The Cottagers have scored six goals in two FA Cup games so far. A 4-1 win against Watford was followed by a 2-1 victory over Wigan.
Marco Silva’s team now face their first real test against Manchester United. The home side’s defense is vulnerable, but the Red Devils are just as capable of winning a chaotic game.
The home side’s last Premier League game, which they won 3-2 against Ipswich Town despite being outnumbered, serves as a prime example.
My Manchester United Fulham betting tip is: At least three goals will be scored
