There is no finer sight in world football than watching Manchester United dominate from top to bottom. Momentum is proven to be the key towards success for any side and many Australian football fans will be hoping that the home side in the A-League ‘All Stars’ will be able to spring an upset.

The Red Devils come into this match on the back of an unexpected 1-0 loss to Singha All Stars. A goal from Teeratep Winothai last week was enough to see off United as their post-Ferguson era began on a negative note. However, United are expected to pounce back from their disappointing defeat and come into this match as undoubted favourites.

However the side, which lacked fluidity and conviction in attack, will be aided by the expected return of their Dutch superstar Robin van Persie, who will undoubtedly feature at the forefront of United’s attack. Also the return of their number one goalkeeper in David De Gea will definitely aid their cause in getting the club’s pre-season preparations back on track.

Other than that, it is expected that David Moyes will field a similar line-up as he did in Bangkok, a mixture of youth and experience. Rio Ferdinand is expected to retain his place as centre back. Former Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha, who thoroughly impressed Moyes last week, is also set to retain his position on the wing whilst Ryan Giggs is expected to take control of Manchester United’s midfield.

On a sour note, Wayne Rooney returned home after succumbing to a hamstring injury amid reports that his future at United was in doubt with Chelsea reportedly looking up to snap-up the English superstar.
On the other hand, the A-League All Star’s hopes of springing a major upset have taken a massive hit. The three major Australian Football imports in Alessandro Del Piero, Shinjo Ono and Emile Heskey have all pulled out of tonight’s match despite initially being selected.

Melbourne Victory’s Archie Thompson and Mark Milligan amongst others will also not attend as they prepare for their encounter against South Korea in the East Asian Cup in what will be the Socceroos’ last major tournament before they commence next year’s World Cup campaign.
Last season’s successful defensive pairing in Michael Beauchamp and Nikolai Topor-Stanley are expected to start alongside each other, veteran Ante Covic will feature as custodian. Emerton and McGlinchey feature in the midfield and Mark Bridge, who enjoyed a highly successful season in Western Sydney, will play a pivotal role leading the All Star’s attack.

However despite the lack of stars in the ‘All Stars’ squad, the side will be expected to fight with a winning mentality in mind.

And Ange Postecoglou seems know exactly what he needs to do in order to defeat his highly fancied opponents.

“Cohesion is going to be the biggest thing for us. I’ve got players from all over the country who are used to playing in different ways.”

“Manchester United doesn’t like losing. After its shock defeat to the Thai All Stars, they’ll be looking to uphold their well-known winning tradition.”

“David Moyes is an experienced manager and I don’t buy talk we can heap pressure on him with a win on Saturday. He’ll be focused on getting his team ready for another tilt at the Premier League.”

“It’s a unique opportunity and, like the players, I want to make it something I’ll remember for the rest of my career,” he added.

So although the All Stars have nothing to lose, and pre-season matches may not always be a perfect indication as to how the following season will pan out, Manchester United will head into this match as favourites.

However with that in mind, Ange Postecoglou’s troops will want to spring a surprise. Let the better team win!

Prediction:
Tough match in prospect, Manchester United to prevail 2-1

Player to Watch:

Wilfried Zaha- A talented youngster who is on a mission to prove that he is a quality player. Blessed with magical dribbling skills, creativity in passing and a goal-scoring touch, he will look to impress Moyes in an attempt to establish a starting spot. A match which could define his first season at Old Trafford, expect the unexpected from this lad.

Follow Cronan on Twitter: @Cronan_Yu