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Knock-out competitions are United’s best hope of silverware

Manchester United’s hopes of claiming the Premier League title this season are looking increasingly slim, but there’s every reason to believe Jose Mourinho’s side can end the campaign with some silverware.

United have progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup and are through to the last 16 in the Champions League, and the draw has been relatively kind to them in both competitions.

Punters with betting experience will undoubtedly include United at odds of 2/11 in doubles and trebles to beat Yeovil Town in the FA Cup, while they are strongly fancied to see off Sevilla in the Champions League.

We take a look at United’s chances of progressing in both competitions.

FA Cup

League Two Yeovil are the lowest-ranked side left in the FA Cup and United will be confident of making it through to the fifth round.

The two sides last met in January 2015 when United won 2-0 in the third round under the previous manager Louis van Gaal.

That result was United’s third-ever victory over Yeovil, with their previous two meetings ending 3-0 and 8-0 back in the 1930s and 1940s.

Yeovil have beaten Southend United, Port Vale and Bradford City to reach this stage of the competition, but odds of 14/1 to beat United at Huish Park underline the size of the task they face.

United are currently second favourites behind Manchester City to lift the trophy, but Mourinho will undoubtedly be keen to deliver the club’s 13th FA Cup success this season.

Champions League

United could have faced Bayern Munich, Juventus or Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League, so a draw against Sevilla will have delighted Mourinho.

City, Bayern, Paris-Saint Germain and Barcelona head the market in the competition, but United’s odds of 14/1 to win Europe’s top prize for the fourth time will be slashed if they see off the La Liga side.

Sevilla are currently fifth in the league, although they acquitted themselves well during the group stages of the Champions League.

The Spanish side finished second behind Liverpool in Group E, but their two draws against the Reds proved that they shouldn’t be underestimated.

If United do progress to the quarter-finals they will hope for a favourable draw, with the winners of the Porto versus Liverpool or Shakhtar Donetsk versus Roma ties appearing to provide their kindest route to the last four.

Mourinho has previously defied the odds by winning the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, and he will quietly fancy his chances of adding a third trophy to his tally this year.

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