Manchester United vs Crystal Palace Predictions - March 1, 2026

Manchester United’s strong home form gives the hosts a massive advantage on Sunday afternoon. Crystal Palace have a crippling injury list and will be missing both Mateta and Nketiah. Plus, Bryan Mbeumo’s clinical finishing against a makeshift Palace defence makes the outcome an easy call

Match info: Premier League

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Date: Sunday, 1^st March 2026

Time: 3 pm Nigerian time

Old Trafford hosts a possible managerial audition on Sunday afternoon, when Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace tackle Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Red Devils edged out Everton 1-0 in their last assignment, while the Eagles head north fresh from booking their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League.

Head-to-head:

• Manchester United have 20 won of the 33 Premier League meetings between the two teams.

• Crystal Palace recorded six victories.

• The remaining seven clashes ended in draws.

• Nine of their last 10 matches ended in away wins.

• Seven of their last nine encounters produced at least two goals.

Form:

• Manchester United in the league: W-W-W-D-W

• Manchester United in all competitions: W-W-W-D-W

• Crystal Palace in the league: L-D-W-L-W

• Crystal Palace in all competitions: W-L-D-W-W

Team News:

• Manchester United go into this game with several defensive injuries. Lisandro Martínez remains in doubt due to a calf problem. Matthijs de Ligt has a back injury. This issue keeps him out of action until early April. Also, Mason Mount picked up a knock. He will stay off the pitch until early March. Patrick Dorgu also faces a long spell out with a hamstring injury. The medical staff expects him back in mid-April.

• Crystal Palace also have a thin squad across several positions. Cheick Doucouré misses the trip with a knee injury. He will not return until early March. Jefferson Lerma has a hamstring problem. This injury extends his absence to mid-March. Furthermore, Eddie Nketiah has a strain. This rules him out until mid-April. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace’s main striker, also has a knee injury. He will stay out until mid-March. This leaves Oliver Glasner very short of attacking options at a difficult time.

Player(s) to watch:

• Bryan Mbeumo carries nine Premier League goals and three assists across 22 appearances this season. He averages a remarkable 0.43 goals per 90 minutes. These figures establish him as Manchester United’s most dangerous attacker at Old Trafford. Furthermore, his shooting accuracy sits at 51.79%. He has hit the target with 29 of 56 shots. This clinical edge consistently punishes deep defensive blocks. Crystal Palace’s backline has leaked goals against direct forward play. They face a genuine threat from a player at the peak of his confidence.

• Ismaïla Sarr contributed three goals and one assist across his first nine Premier League starts this campaign. Injury disruptions and international duty with Senegal then interrupted his momentum. Nevertheless, Sarr previously destroyed Brighton at the Amex. He recorded two goals and an assist in that single match. That explosive wide threat remains Palace’s most credible counter-attacking weapon on Sunday. His pace and directness stretch even the most composed defensive lines. United’s injury-hit backline currently misses Martínez and De Ligt. This could give Sarr the space he craves.