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A hectic Premier League fixture list continues on the first weekend of 2026, with another exciting round from the top tier. Followers enjoy four exciting matches on Saturday, with another six played on Sunday. We focus on the game from West Yorkshire, where Leeds United and Manchester United go toe-to-toe from 12:30 GMT, live on television.
The home team gave their fans reason to smile over the festive period, thanks to a strong run of results. Despite being much closer to the relegation zone than the European places, Daniel Farke’s side pieced together an unbeaten run. Will the locals deliver a late Christmas present to supporters by beating Man Utd at Elland Road in front of a global audience?
The leading online bookmakers featured at Flashscore offer over 100 pre-match betting markets on Leeds United v Manchester United. You can choose between the match-winner, first scorer, handicap, total goals, and much more. Need a helping hand? Respected football writer Frank Monkhouse uses the stats available at Flashscore to find his three best bets.
Leeds v Man Utd tips
Over 2.5 goals @ 10/11 (bet365)
Man Utd to score in first half @ 1/1 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Take over two goals
Football bettors are spoiled for choice when gambling on live matches from the Premier League. With so many pre-match and live betting markets available, deciding on the best bet can be difficult. It often pays to keep it simple and place your trust in the stats and trends available on the Flashscore app and site. Studying the numbers often leads to a strong pick.
Looking at recent matches involving The Whites and the Red Devils, a bet on over 2.5 goals has landed in three of the previous four. That run started with a 5-1 win for Man Utd at Old Trafford, before they did the double when scoring a 4-2 victory at Elland Road. Then came a memorable four-goal draw in Manchester, before Man Utd won 2-0 at this stadium last time.
You may wish to follow that trend and back Sunday’s match to produce three or more goals. Add over 2.5 goals to your bet slip, and it doesn’t matter which team wins, who scores the goals, or when they come. As long as the match ends with more than two goals, your wager wins. It’s a great way to enjoy the 90 minutes, cheering every time the ball hits the net.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 10/11 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Leeds v Man Utd ends with more than two goals scored by both teams combined, you’ll secure a profit.
Expect another strong start for United
We drop into the special betting markets for our second Leeds United v Manchester United prediction. Sticking with the goals, we’re placing our stake on Man Utd to find the net at least once in the opening 45 minutes. It doesn’t matter if the scoreboard reads 0-1 or 5-1 at the interval. All you’re looking for is the visiting side to get off the mark in the first period.
Studying Man Utd’s recent Premier League form suggests we’re looking in the right places. During a breathless December programme, Man Utd scored in the first half at Molineux in a 4-1 win over lowly Wolves. They then bagged two goals before the break in an eight-goal draw with Bournemouth, and were 1-1 at half-time away to Aston Villa, before losing 2-1.
Need a little more convincing? That’s no problem. In Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, Dorgu broke the deadlock with 24 minutes on the clock. Switching to Leeds, they were 1-0 down at the Stadium of Light just after Christmas, conceding on 28 minutes. Leeds battled back to draw that match, thanks to Calvert-Lewin.
Tip: Man Utd to score in the first half @ 1/1 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Manchester United to register at least one goal against Leeds United in the opening 45 minutes.
Visitors will grind out a win
After playing the specials and avoiding picking sides, we wrap things up with a bet on the match-winner market. It’s the simplest and most popular option with online football bettors. Simply choose a side, add your stake, and bet. If your team wins, you beat the bookies and secure a profit. If your team loses or the match ends in a draw, the traders keep your stake.
Despite expecting a competitive 90 minutes, we’re backing Man Utd to win and silence the home support. The visitors are unbeaten in their previous six visits to Leeds, winning five and drawing the spare 0-0. Since the goalless finish, Man Utd have left Elland Road with all three points on two occasions, thanks to 4-2 and 2-0 results. Fans would love another.
Focusing on more recent games, Leeds United needed a goal from Tanaka deep into stoppage time to rescue a point when hosting Liverpool. That goalfest ended 3-3, but I expect Man Utd’s defence to be far less generous than Liverpool were that day. The hosts will explode out of the traps, but Man Utd can weather the early storm and take charge.
Tip: Man Utd win @ 29/20 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Man Utd beat Leeds United at Elland Road, you’ll bank a profit from your bet.
Leeds v Man Utd
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.