Lakshay Khurana
Manchester United go on head to head against Liverpool in the Europa League last-16 second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday. The Red Devils endured a 2-0 defeat in the first leg last week at Anfield.
Louis Van Gaal’s men must grab at least a 3-0 win in order to proceed to the quarter-finals. Even though given the home advantage, it can be very harsh winning against Liverpool by such a margin. Even a single goal scored against United can be devastating for them.
In spite of losing 2-0 last week, the Red Devils can depict confidence from their two wins against Scousers in both the meetings in the English Premier League this season.
Liverpool, on the other hand, would just look forward to finish the job by avoiding conceding goals. They have won three consecutive games after losing the Capital One Cup final to Manchester City, including a brilliant 3-0 victory against Chelsea.
Team News:
Wayne Rooney is still not expected to return anytime soon. Bastian Schweinsteiger made his return on the game against West Ham United on Sunday in the FA Cup. It will be expected that the German midfielder starts the game on Thursday night.
Ashley Young and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson are back in training ahead of Europa League’s fixture and are most likely to be included in the subs if not the starting XI.
Jesse Lingard will also be expected to be in the squad to play against Liverpool.
Facts:
- Manchester United have won 12 of the last 14 home fixtures against Liverpool in all competitions.
- In 2013/14 season under David Moyes, United turned a 2-0 deficit in the first-leg tie against Olympiakos, beating them by 3-0 at home in the Champions League last 16 second-leg.
- Liverpool’s forward, Sturridge has scored five times in his last seven games against Manchester United.
- Manchester United have scored 21 goals in their last 10 European home games.
Key Players:
David De Gea: The Spaniard is on a roll after making breathtaking saves in the first leg. De Gea was the only reason van Gaal’s side find themselves still in the tie.
Daniel Sturridge: The England international is gaining his goal-scoring form since he has made his return from a long injury time. His history of scoring goals against United can give him a further boost to disallow their advancement to the quarter-finals.
Follow Match:
Time: 20:05 GMT (1:35 IST, Friday 18th March)
VENUE: OLD TRAFFORD
LIVE ON: Ten Action
