Manchester United vs Twente – Match Preview & Prediction

Team News

Manchester United are still without summer signing Leny Yoro, who remains sidelined with a foot injury. Luke Shaw (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), and Victor Lindelof (toe) are all doubtful, although both Malacia and Lindelof have resumed first-team training. Despite securing three consecutive clean sheets, Erik ten Hag may look to rotate his defence, with Harry Maguire a possible replacement for either Matthijs de Ligt or Lisandro Martinez. In midfield, Manuel Ugarte or Casemiro could be called upon to start, potentially at the expense of Kobbie Mainoo or Christian Eriksen. Marcus Rashford will be keen to reclaim his starting spot after being unexpectedly benched against Crystal Palace, despite netting three goals in two matches prior. Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Antony will be competing for the wide roles, while Joshua Zirkzee may continue to lead the line as Rasmus Højlund is gradually integrated back into the first team.

For FC Twente, midfielder Michal Sadilek remains sidelined with a leg injury from a pre-Euro 2024 bicycle accident, and Younes Taha is out with a broken leg sustained during a recent Eredivisie match. Manager Joseph Oosting is unlikely to make many changes, with Bart van Rooij expected to retain his place at right-back alongside Mees Hilgers, Max Bruns, and Anass Salah-Eddine. Sem Steijn, who has been in prolific form with seven goals in eight games, is set to continue in the number 10 role behind striker Sam Lammers.

Form Guide

Manchester United’s form has been inconsistent so far this season, with three wins, three losses, and one draw in all competitions. After back-to-back victories over Southampton (3-0) and Barnsley (7-0), the Red Devils were held to a goalless draw against Crystal Palace last weekend. Despite dominating the first half, Erik ten Hag’s men lacked the finishing touch and now sit 11th in the Premier League, three points adrift of the top four.

FC Twente, on the other hand, are in good shape, having finished third in last season’s Eredivisie, their highest position in a decade. They have collected 11 points from their opening six matches, including consecutive wins over Heerenveen and Almere City. After a solid 2-0 win at home against Heerenveen, Twente followed up with a 5-0 thrashing of Almere City, with goals from Sem Steijn (2), Sam Lammers, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, and Anass Salah-Eddine.

Predicted Outcome

FC Twente have found their scoring touch of late, and Sem Steijn’s form could pose a danger to Manchester United’s defence. However, Ten Hag’s side, though unpredictable, are expected to outscore their Dutch opponents and start their Europa League campaign with a victory. We predict Manchester United will beat Twente 2-0, thanks to their recently sturdy defence which has not concede a single goal in the last three matches.