Ex-Manchester United striker Michael Owen is expecting a cagey affair when his former club face Chelsea at Old Trafford tomorrow evening.

The BT Sport pundit says he would usually back the Red Devils to exploit the Blues on the counter-attack but he believes the defensive solidity that manager Thomas Tuchel has instilled into his team will make openings hard to come by for both teams:

“If this were a few months ago, I’d have fancied United to take advantage of Chelsea’s attacking style on the counter. However, since Thomas Tuchel has arrived, all that has changed. Chelsea have a solidness about them and are a real throwback to what we saw when Jose Mourinho arrived there all those years ago. With that in mind, I expect Chelsea to give up some territory, which won’t suit United at all. I’m predicting a real tactical battle, and in the end, I think we may end up with a stalemate.”

Owen predicts a 0-0 draw in this game, which isn’t surprising considering the tactics of these two managers don’t suggest this will be an open, attacking contest.

Tuchel likes his teams to have the ball but they rarely overcommit bodies forward, and United are unlikely to have space in behind to exploit if manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sets up his side to play on the counter.

Perhaps either Solskjaer or Tuchel will surprise us with their tactical decisions but from, the look of things, this could be a match where there will be few chances.