TOTABUANEWS.COM – It’s strange times indeed when Leicester City are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Manchester United are fighting just to make the same stage in the Europa League.
But that’s the reality the Red Devils are faced with, and winning this competition feels all the more important now for Jose Mourinho’s side after they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Chelsea on Monday.
According to schedule the match will begin at Friday 17 March 2017. You can be watch online on Live Streaming Manchester United v FC Rostov
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United’s bid to replicate Liverpool’s ‘Mickey Mouse treble’ of 2000/01 may be over, but with the EFL Cup already in the bag they can at least make it a Mickey Mouse double for this season, with the reward of Champions League qualification as a nice little bonus.
Tied 1-1 from their first leg against FC Rostov, here’s a look at how things might pan out for them in the second leg…
People are increasingly getting on the Frenchman’s back after some ineffectual recent performances, and that’s understandable when taking into account the £89million world-record fee paid for him in the summer.
While no one is expecting miracles from Pogba in every single game for United, he has gone missing in some key fixtures of late, doing little of note in the EFL Cup final win over Southampton or this week’s defeat at Chelsea.
At the very least, the 24-year-old will be expected to stamp his authority against opposition of this calibre, and if he can play a key role in helping to deliver a European trophy to Old Trafford he can call this a successful first season.
Likely line up…
There should be a few changes from the Chelsea game, not least a switch back to a more attacking formation after the failed experiment of three centre-backs.
United tried that in Russia to help them deal with the difficult pitch, and while they came away with a decent 1-1 draw they’ll certainly expect more in the home leg.
Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial are out, so Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata should return to the starting XI alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is not suspended for European games.
If you memorise one stat, make it this…
Manchester United don’t have the best record against Russian opposition, drawing seven of their last ten meetings with them.
Last time they met…
Was last week’s 1-1 draw on *that* pitch.
Needless to say, the conditions affected United and they’ll be fairly happy to come away without a defeat and with an away goal in the bag.
Ibrahimovic set up Mkhitaryan for the opener that night, but they created little else of note as Rostov were able to claw back an equaliser in the second half.
The result sets United up well to go through, with 0-0 enough against a side they’ll be confident of beating on their own pitch.
The Prediction…
United aren’t at their free-flowing best at the moment, but it’s hard to see anything other than a straightforward home win.
The return of Ibrahimovic will give United a huge boost – he has five goals and two assists in seven Europa League games this season, with four of those goals coming at Old Trafford.
Surely a 3-0 win and a stroll into the quarter-finals for Mourinho’s men.
