Manchester United vs Middlesbrough live: What time does it start, what TV channel is it on and where can I watch it?
A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford
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Your support makes all the difference.The master meets the apprentice at Old Trafford as Aitor Karanka and his Middlesbrough team travel to face Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
Karanka worked under Mourinho during his ill-fated three-year spell at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013 and still considers the Portuguese to be “a real friend”.
Both men, however, will be hoping for three points, with the hosts looking to extend their Premier League winning streak to five games after Monday’s victory over Sunderland.
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It’s a big game for…
Victor Valdes: The Middlesbrough goalkeeper is going back to Old Trafford where he failed to get much game time under Louis Van Gaal. The Spaniard will be looking to prove to his former employers that he can still do a job between the sticks.
Best stat…
100: This will be the hundredth meeting between Manchester United and Middlesbrough with the former taking 50 wins, Middlesbrough 22 and the 27 other fixtures ending in draws.
Remember when...
Gaizka Mendieta scored the fourth goal in a remarkable 4-1 drubbing of United back in 2005, co-incidentally the last time Boro have triumphed over the Manchester club.
Player to watch…
Henrikh Mkhitaryan: The fan favourite has really impressed since being given more game time by Jose Mourinho. In his first game back from injury on Boxing Day he netted that ingenious scorpion kick in the closing moments. Boro will need to keep the Armenian playmaker quiet to quell any attacks from the hosts.
Past three meetings…
Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0 (Middlesbrough win on penalties), EFL Cup, October 2015
Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 2 (Giggs, Park Ji Sung), Premier League, May 2009
Manchester United 1 (Berbatov) Middlesbrough 0, EFL Cup, December 2008
Form guide…
Manchester United: DWWWWW
Middlesbrough: DWLLWL
Vital information…
KICK-OFF TIME: 15:00, Saturday 31 December 2016
TV: Highlights on Match of the Day, BBC TWO – 10pm
Odds…
Manchester United to win: 2/7
Middlesbrough: 12/1
Draw: 5/1
61 mins: Pressure from City now and Liverpool are stretched. De Bryune tries to clip a cross to the back post but it's cleared by Klaven.
66 mins: Crowd favourite Divock Origi has come on for Jordan Henderson who has picked up an injury. Not entirely sure what's up with the Liverpool captain - suggestions he might just be feeling unwell. Origi has five goals in his last seven games...
68 mins: Just over 20 minutes to go at Anfield. Liverpool, it must be said, have been disjointed in the last 15 minutes or so. City seeing much more of the ball and doing more with it - but can they find an equaliser?
70 mins: Origi wins a corner for Liverpool at the Kop end. Liverpool clear.
72 mins: City back on the front foot, as they have been for much of the second half. Sterling lofts the ball forward for Aguero to chase but again Liverpool's defence stands firm.
73 mins: And now Liverpool come forward. Milner thinks he's won a corner kick off Toure but the referee disagrees and it's a goal-kick.
75 mins: Can is booked for a foul on Sterling just inside the Liverpool half. The last five minutes have been scrappy with both sides mis-placing passes.
76 mins: Sterling's cross is cleared but Can concedes another corner. Constant City pressure now. Liverpool clear the corner but the away side have it again.
78 mins: City have had 74 per cent possession in the last 10 minutes. And Anfield is nervous.
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