Wandji’s three-match football accumulator for Saturday: United, Mbappe and Inter

Arthur Wandji, a Cameroonian sports journalist and betting expert, has selected three matches for a football accumulator on Saturday, 22 August 2026. His picks focus on Manchester United, Kylian Mbappe and defending Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Manchester United begin their Premier League campaign as strong favourites after an outstanding end to last season. The Red Devils also have the division’s best record on the opening day, having won 22 times. Bruno Fernandes was one of the outstanding players in the previous campaign, setting a record with 21 assists.

Their opponents, Hull City, are back in the top flight after securing a historic promotion through the play-offs. However, Hull start the season with an inexperienced squad and have endured a difficult pre-season, with a significant number of injuries affecting the team.

The recommended selection is Manchester United to win and fewer than 5.5 goals to be scored. United’s record against promoted sides is particularly persuasive: they have avoided defeat in their first 12 season-opening matches against newly promoted teams, winning nine and drawing three.

Hull’s home form provides a reason to avoid expecting a high-scoring contest. The club have not conceded more than one goal in any of their past five league matches at home. Manchester United also have fitness doubts surrounding important players, including Benjamin Sesko and Matthijs de Ligt.

Mbappe backed to score for Real Madrid

Real Madrid begin a new chapter under manager Jose Mourinho, who has inherited a squad strengthened by the arrivals of high-profile players including Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries. The Spanish club are looking to recover after ending last season without a trophy.

Their record against Espanyol is strongly in their favour, with Real winning six of the past seven meetings. They have also not lost their opening league match since the 2008/09 season, recording 12 victories and five draws during that run.

Espanyol made an ideal start to the campaign by beating Levante 3-0, with Roberto Fernandez scoring twice. That result extended their unbeaten run to four matches, consisting of three wins and one draw. They will now aim to continue that improvement at the RCDE Stadium, although they will be without key players such as Kike Garcia and Javi Puado.

The suggested bet is for Kylian Mbappe to score. The France forward is the leading figure in Real Madrid’s attack and has a central role in the system Mourinho is developing. Espanyol’s defence has not yet shown complete assurance against elite opposition, while Real’s ability to create space and supply their forwards makes Mbappe the preferred goalscorer selection.

Real will have to manage the long-term absences of Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao and Rodrygo, but their attacking quality remains a key factor in the prediction.

Inter expected to make winning start

Inter Milan begin the defence of their Serie A title after a dominant campaign last season. They finished 11 points clear and scored more goals than any other side in the division, with 89.

Under Cristian Chivu, Inter continue to benefit from an impressive record at San Siro. They have opened the scoring with a 1-0 lead in each of their past seven home matches. Lautaro Martinez is another strong form indicator, having scored five goals in his previous four appearances against Monza.

Monza return to the top flight after a season in Serie B and face a difficult opening assignment. They have also been weakened by the absence of Matteo Pessina, who is expected to miss four months with a knee injury. Their last visit to San Siro ended in a 2-0 defeat.

The final recommendation is an Inter win combined with more than 1.5 goals in the match. Inter’s technical and collective superiority, together with home advantage, makes them the logical winners against a newly promoted side still adapting to the demands of Serie A.

There is also evidence to support an open game. Both teams scored in seven of Inter’s past 10 Serie A matches, while Monza have scored at least twice in six of their past eight competitive away fixtures. Those trends point towards a contest featuring at least two goals in total.

Odds can change.