Blackburn v Man Utd
Sunday 19 February, 16:15
Live on BT Sport 2

Blackburn


Rovers sit second bottom of the Championship and the market says they're not getting out of it, their relegation odds a grim 1.73.

They've reached round five of the FA Cup for the third straight season via a 2-1 win at QPR (lost 10 of their last 15) and a 2-0 home success over 10-man Blackpool (12th in League Two).

In other words, they haven't exactly been pulling up trees in the FA Cup either, although fair play to Rovers for making it this far when it would have been easy (or sensible?) to prioritise Championship survival.

Probably the kindest thing to say about Rovers is that they can score a few at home (24 is just one less than top six duo Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday) and have managed three wins and a draw in their last five matches at Ewood Park.

And the best evidence we have of them against a decent team is positive. Yes, Blackburn have beaten Newcastle home and away this season.

The home success came on January 2nd so is still fresh in the memory. This is a massive step up though.

Man Utd

United have won both their FA Cup ties this season by 4-0 margins. These were the two starting XIs sent out by Jose Mourinho...

Man Utd v Wigan: Romero, Shaw, Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Mata, Martial.

Man Utd v Reading: Romero, Blind, Rojo, Smalling, Young, Carrick, Fellaini, Martial, Rooney, Mata, Rashford.

Zlatan, Paul Pogba, David De Gea and Ander Herrera are likely to be rested again but United have plenty of cards to shuffle.

United have won 13 and drawn three of their last 17 games and Mourinho will know that this tournament represents another decent chance to add to the haul of 23 trophies he's lifted with Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid.

He won the FA Cup just once with Chelsea (2006/7), beating United in the final, so a 10-year anniversary is due.

Match Odds

It's 10.50 for Blackburn to pull off a huge shock against their north west rivals. Man Utd are just 1.35 to reach the last eight while it's 5.60 for the draw and a replay at Old Trafford.

This fixture was last played in April 2012 when United ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young.

United lost the title on goal difference to Man City that season while Blackburn were relegated. Man Utd also won 2-0 in the last FA Cup meeting between the pair in 1984/5.

To Score

Only Barnsley and basement dwellers Rotherham have conceded more Championship goals in front of their own fans than Blackburn (24) so United's frontmen should be licking their lips.

Marcus Rashford could get the nod here but, like Jamie Vardy, he has the unenviable record of having scored in just one domestic game since September. At least that came in the FA Cup when he netted a brace against Reading.

One interesting name on the Blackburn side is Charlie Mulgrew. He got the winner in both games against Newcastle and is a threat from set-pieces.

Odds of 12.50 are dangling if you fancy Mulgrew to rise to the occasion once more while he's 40.00 to net the game's opener (as he did twice against the Magpies).

Correct Score

It's not too hard to arrive at 2-0 the more you look at this game.

United have kept clean sheets in their last five games, they don't exactly score goals by the shedful like Liverpool or Man City have done this season and an away game suggests the count may come down from the four they managed at home against Reading and Wigan.

The 2-0 has some handy historical precedents but of far more importance is the fact that it's a very Mourinho scoreline. Get the first goal, defend it, get the killer second and see the game out.

In their recent run of 13 wins in 17, the 2-0 has landed in three of their seven away games. They also beat Watford by that scoreline at Old Trafford last time.

I like to go a goal either way with correct scoreline betting so add in 3-0 which is nearly a couple of points higher than the 1-0. United have only had a single 1-0 away win this season while they've won 3-0 in two of their last three outings so the three-goal margin looks the way to go, especially as Blackburn let in so many at home.

Split stakes and half a point each on 2-0 and 3-0.

Ref Watch

Unless he jets off to Saudi Arabia before Sunday, Martin Atkinson will be the man in the middle.

The West Yorkshire official has shown 97 yellows and a red in his 26 games this season so averages under four cards per match.

He booked two United players (Pogba, Bailly) in their 4-0 humbling at Chelsea and Danny Blind in the 3-1 home win over Sunderland.

Recommended Bets

Back Man Utd to win 2-0 at 7.20
Back Man Utd to win 3-0 at 9.40

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