Soccer Betting – Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain

Manchester United (+137) vs Parist Saint Germain (+220), Draw (+260)

It may just be a friendly game in a meaningless tournament, but Manchester United still wants a win over Paris Saint-Germain to secure the International Champions Cup, when they meet tonight at Soldier Field in Chicago (9:00 PM Eastern).

Man United have won their three games on US soil, taking Club America (1-0), San Jose Earthquakes (3-1) and Barcelona (3-1). One more win will give Manchester United the tournament for the second year in a row.

“It is still only preseason but winning a game against a team like Barcelona, always give you a good feeling,” said defender Tyler Blackett to Daily Express. “If we get into the Champions League, it would be good to play teams of such calibre.”

Man United is expected to put Mexican striker Javier Hernandez on the field to see what he can bring to the table after a year with Real Madrid.  Hernandez doesn’t have a spot on the 23-man roster, and this game could decide his fate on this team.  New goalkeeper Sergio Romero could also star; he was signed just days ago, and his debut will tell if he’s good enough to fight for the starting position.

Paris Saint-Germain is coming off a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, where the French lost 6-5 in penalties. Though these games are essentially meaningless, PSG doesn’t face the kind of talent Man United does in the Premier League, playing in Ligue 1: the French side will want to make the most of the opportunity to play against an upper echelon team.

Rumors around the team also indicate they could end up selling playmaker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan, his former team, who has been in touch with the player to make a comeback. PSG are preparing to sign Angel Di Maria – from Man U, coincidentally enough – to be his replacement at striker.

“Regarding Angel Di Maria, the case is close to being completed,” said PSG’s manager Laurent Blanc, at a press conference. “We expect departures also in our group. We want to regenerate the group.”

On the field though, United should win this game. Still looking to round out their roster for start the of the season players will be motivated by any opportunity for playing time. PSG will have a more laid-back approach, because the urgency of the season is not on their side.

Pick: Man United +137.

(Photo credit: Austin Osuide [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)