Crystal Palace Set to Battle Manchester United: Key Matchup Preview, Bold Predictions, and Expected Starting XIs

Crystal Palace welcome Manchester United to the Premier League for Sunday's lunchtime fixture, with the away side struggling following a disappointing home loss to Everton.

The Merseyside club claimed their third-ever Premier League victory at Old Trafford on Monday evening, despite being reduced to 10 players for 77 minutes after Idrissa Gueye received a red card for striking teammate Michael Keane.

United's efforts to capitalize on their numerical superiority came to nothing, and they suffered one of their most lackluster defeats during Ruben Amorim's tenure, which marked its first anniversary that evening.

This result brought an end to a five-match undefeated streak for the Red Devils, who currently occupy 10th position in the league standings. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, climbed to fifth place following their 2–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

The Eagles are thriving in domestic competition, though their inaugural European campaign has presented difficulties. Oliver Glasner's team endured their second loss of the league phase on Thursday evening, falling 2–1 to Liam Rosenior's Strasbourg.

Despite their struggles following midweek European fixtures this season, Palace maintain an excellent recent record against the Red Devils. They have secured victory in three of the last five encounters, with United failing to win at Selhurst Park since July 2020.

Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the Premier League's Sunday lunchtime encounter.

What Time Does Crystal Palace vs. Man Utd Kick Off?

Crystal Palace vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch Crystal Palace vs. Man Utd on TV, Live Stream

Crystal Palace Team News

Glasner has generally avoided extensive rotation for Conference League matches, usually making minimal changes from the previous weekend's domestic lineup.

Therefore, the majority of players who featured in the 2–1 loss to Strasbourg are expected to keep their positions for Man Utd's arrival.

Nevertheless, Adam Wharton should return to the midfield core, with Chris Richards potentially rejoining the Austrian's three-man defense.

The home side will be missing Cheick Doucouré, Chadi Riad and Caleb Kporha due to injuries. Borna Sosa, among the few summer signings, is also dealing with a minor injury.

Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd

Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta.

Man Utd Team News

Amorim revealed following the international break that Benjamin Šeško would be sidelined for the coming "few weeks" with a knee problem, while United were also missing Matheus Cunha for their Monday night loss to Everton.

Cunha is understood to have sustained a head knock during training before the match and was omitted as a precautionary measure. However, Amorim has stated that the striker will remain unavailable for Sunday's fixture.

Harry Maguire continues to be absent with the thigh injury picked up in the 2–2 stalemate against Tottenham Hotspur, though Lisandro Martínez is now fit for selection after spending most of the campaign recovering from a persistent knee issue. Even so, Luke Shaw is likely to start at left centre-back on Sunday.

Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace

Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Mount; Zirkzee.

Crystal Palace vs. Man Utd Score Prediction

Although Palace have yet to win following Conference League fixtures this season, United have found success difficult at this venue since 2020 and must lack confidence after Monday evening's poor performance.

Glasner continues to demonstrate to Amorim that the 3-4-2-1 formation can bring success in this league, and the tactical similarities between both teams suggest potential for a stalemate on Sunday.

This promises to be a scrappy encounter on a Selhurst Park surface that consistently appears more compact than others. Perhaps a single decisive moment will settle the contest, and it seems fitting for Palace to maintain their impressive domestic run while handing United consecutive defeats this weekend.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1–0 Man Utd