Manchester United’s quest to find a silver lining in their otherwise unpleasant season continues on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League, when they face Real Sociedad in the second leg of their round of 16 tie. The two sides tied 1-1 in Spain last week, meaning it’s anyone’s game at Old Trafford on Thursday. The competition represents United’s lone opportunity to qualify for European competition next season, though that would only come if they win the competition. There’s still a few matches to go until the May 21 final in Bilbao, including a matchup with either France’s Lyon or Romania’s FCSB in the quarterfinals.
Manchester United technically enter Thursday’s game on a five-game unbeaten run but true to form, it’s not exactly an impressive stretch of games. Their only win of that stretch was a 3-2 victory over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town and one of their many draws included a defeat on penalties to Fulham in the FA Cup. Their Europa League campaign so far has mostly been a reprieve from a disappointing domestic campaign but as always, it’s hard to know which version of United will turn up when the game actually kicks off.
Bruno Fernandes, one of United’s few reliable performers, will likely be counted on again to play a big role as they eye a spot in the quarterfinals. Which other players might show up is an open question, though – Fernandes has three goals and an assist in that five-game stretch but the goals have otherwise been divided amongst the group, continuing to outline United’s struggles to score all season long. The Red Devils have also not kept a clean sheet in their last eight games, making scoring imperative no matter how difficult it has proved to be this season.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, March 13 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford — Stretford, England
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Manchester United -120; Draw +220; Real Sociedad +360
Projected United lineup
Onana, Yoro, de Ligt, Mazraoui, Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu, Garnacho, Hojlund, Zirkzee
Prediction
Even if this season has been defined by their struggles, United still have enough quality to pull out a win against La Liga’s 11th-place team. Just do not expect the game to be particularly entertaining, though, considering how difficult scoring has been for them this season. Pick: Manchester United 1, Real Sociedad 0
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