Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
As part of a friendly match, Hong Kong's national team will face off against Manchester United. The clash is set for Friday, 30 May in Hong Kong, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 Central European Time. I'm tipping this game to be a high-scoring affair.
Match preview
Hong Kong are not experiencing the best period in their football history, but recent years have seen a decent upswing in results and achievements. While there’s little to boast about at the highest level, one interesting moment stands out.
During the qualifiers for the last Asian Cup, this team delivered a real surprise for their fans, reaching the final tournament for the first time in half a century. In the process, Hong Kong left Cambodia and Afghanistan behind, falling only to India.
Causing an upset in Qatar proved impossible: just one goal scored and three defeats to Iran, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates. The new qualifying cycle hasn't started well either. A draw against Singapore and subsequent matches versus Bangladesh and India offer little reason for optimism.
It's also worth noting that Hong Kong have already lost their chance to qualify for the World Cup in North America. In the first round, they overcame Bhutan, but in the second, they finished bottom of their group with Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
The recently concluded season was nothing short of a disaster for Manchester United. Managerial turmoil and questionable transfers resulted in the club finishing at an all-time low in Premier League history, ending up only 15th.
There was a chance to salvage the campaign by winning the Europa League, which would have granted them a Champions League spot. That would have meant both prestige and significant financial rewards to balance the books. All those plans were dashed by Tottenham, who beat Amorim's side in the final.
The Red Devils also suffered defeat against the ASEAN All-Stars—a team comprising the best players from Southeast Asian national teams and select players from regional leagues. That match ended 1-0, and despite being a friendly, the result was a major shock.
It’s clear that the outcome won't carry much weight in this fixture against Hong Kong, but United’s players will surely want to restore some pride after their recent defeat. There’s intrigue here, even with the exhibition status of the match.
Match facts
- Hong Kong have won just one of their last four matches.
- At home, Hong Kong have lost only once in their last six games.
- Manchester United have lost three of their previous four matches.
- The Red Devils have suffered three consecutive defeats on the road.
- Hong Kong average 2 goals per home game, while Manchester United average 1.4 goals per away game.
Probable line-ups
- Hong Kong: Yapp, Gerbig, Jones, Fernando, Chan, Wong, Ngan, Juninho, Sun, Camargo, Opp.
- Manchester United: Bayindir, Heven, Maguire, Evans, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot, Dorgu, Diallo, Fernandes, Højlund.
H2H
The teams have never faced each other before.
Prediction
Despite the exhibition nature of the game, the illustrious English side are expected to field a strong line-up. There's no point even debating the favourite, as the gap in quality is vast, but a surprise can't be ruled out. Hong Kong have been scoring regularly of late, albeit against some of the most modest national teams you’ll struggle to find on the map. United are wrapping up their Asian tour with these final matches of the season, after which players will join their national teams or head off on holiday. Don’t expect much competition here, but I’m backing Hong Kong with a +3 goal handicap.
