After an encouraging performance in the FA Cup, Manchester United will want to continue in the same vein when they host Stoke City in the English Premier League on Tuesday.
Manchester United, while not being over-the-top outstanding, improved considerably from their dismal showing against Southampton in picking up a 3-1 win over Championship side Derby County at the weekend, and manager Louis Van Gaal wants more of the same from his team when Mark Hughes' Stoke pay a visit.
Watch the Highlights and goals of the match HERE
"I hope that we can give the same level of performance as against Derby," Van Gaal was quoted as saying by the club's official website. "Stoke City are a team that every club has a lot of difficulties with.
"I saw them play against Liverpool and thought they were very good -- they deserved to go through [to the Capital One Cup final]. I have to say that I like how Stoke play, very much."
Van Gaal would not have liked how Stoke played against Manchester United the last time the two teams met, with the Potters dominating United from minute one to 90. In the end, Manchester United would have felt lucky to have left the Britannia with just a 2-0 loss.
The Dutchman will also consider himself a little fortunate to be in the job, after he was roundly booed by the fans at Old Trafford in their last Premier League fixture. Manchester United put on another dire attacking performance, with a Charlie Austin header consigning them to a 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
Van Gaal, though, stuck to his guns and felt the fans were much more appreciative of United's performance against Derby County. "Our fans supported us fantastically," Van Gaal added. "I heard the fans of Manchester United more than the fans of Derby County.
"It is important that the fans continue to support the players against Stoke as the players have the most difficult task -- they have to get a result at that hour, against Stoke's resistance and there are no excuses. The fans have to support again."
Hughes, who knows a thing or two about support at Old Trafford, is hopeful his team can turn the fans against their own team again, with another cultured performance.
"Manchester United aren't immune from having a little bit of anxiety in their play," The Daily Mirror quoted the former Manchester United forward as saying. "That can come from themselves in terms of their own form as players and that can be transmitted from the crowd as well, and by all accounts there has been frustration from the crowd.
"I hope they put in a poor performance and get booed off again because that means we'll have done well."
Where to Watch Live
Manchester United vs Stoke City is scheduled for a 1.30 am IST (8 pm GMT, 3 pm ET) start. Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD1 will broadcast the match live in India, while the online live streaming options are on Hotstar and Starsports.com.
The English Premier League match will not be shown live in the UK. Australia viewers can watch the EPL game live on Fox Sports 4, with the online live streaming options on Fox Sports On Demand and Foxtel Play.
Watch the EPL game between Manchester United and Stoke live in the US on the NBC Sports Network, with the live stream option on NBC Sports Live Extra. Audience in Canada can watch the action live on Sportsnet World, while game can also be live streamed on Watch Sportsnet.
PPTV Sports will broadcast the match live in China, while LeTV is the place to be to watch Man United play Stoke live in Hong Kong. Viewers in Singapore can watch the match live on104 mio, with live coverage of Arsenal's game against Stoke in Thailand on CTH.
