RB Leipzig vs Manchester United – Match Preview & Prediction

Manchester United are facing a crucial Champions League clash against RB Leipzig in Germany on Tuesday night. The match will decide whether the Devils will continue playing in this competition or will they have to settle themselves with another Europa League run in the spring of 2021. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will not have it easy against Julian Nagelsmann and his team.

Team News

Leipzig will be without plenty of players for this meeting. Julian Nagelsmann will not have to find a team in which there will be none of Lukas Klostermann, Fabrice Hartmann, Konrad Laimer, Benjamin Henrichs or Hwang Hee-chan. Players like Dani Olmo, Yussuf Poulsen and Emil Forsberg are expected to be in the team, while Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate should make the centre-back partnership. Therefore, apart from those injuries, not many surprises are expected to happen.

As far as Manchester United are concerned, we know Fred will not be playing as he is suspended following the red card he was shown against PSG last week. We might see Paul Pogba take his place in central midfield, while Luke Shaw is still not ready to play after his hamstring injury. That means Alex Telles should once more be expected on the left in the back four – or even back five, should Solskjaer choose to alter the formation. David de Gea did not play against West Ham, but should be back in starting lineup, while Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial both picked up muscle injuries in London. They remain doubts for this match.

Form Guide

This has been an odd Champions League season so far for both Leipzig and Manchester United. The Bundesliga outfit managed to reach the semifinals last August and now they were ready to prove themselves again. After starting the competition with a 2-0 win against Istanbul Basaksehir, they lost 5-0 at Old Trafford, in what was a big surprise more than a month ago. But then, after going 1-0 down against Paris Saint-Germain, they managed to get a 2-1 win. After a 1-0 loss in the revers fixture in Paris, Leipzig have a worse head-to-head due to goal conceded at home. After that, a 4-3 win against Basaksehir in Istanbul has put them in a situation where their destiny is their own hands – they will have to beat Manchester United if they want to reach the knockout rounds once again. Last weekend in Bundesliga, Leipzig were unlucky to just draw against Bayern in Munich, as the thrilling game ended 3-3.

Manchester United, on the other hand, reacted after a 3-1 loss against PSG with a 3-1 win in the Premier League, beating West Ham in London, after a second-half 13-minute turnaroud.

Predicted Outcome

The Devils are facing a tough challenge. They cannot lose in Germany if they want to continue playing in the Champions League and Solskjaer’s team must be at their best this time around. We expect Manchester United and Leipzig to draw this one, as both sides have their own issues. In the end, United’s attacking potential from the counter attacks should give them enough to at least get this result, which would get them into the Champions League round of 16.

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