Manchester Untied are getting ready for the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinal match against Granada, following a 2-0 win in Spain last Thursday. Here is everything you need to know ahead of this match.
Team News
It will be interesting to see how will Man United fare with a different side, considering the trio of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay will miss the game due to yellow cards suspension. Also, Eric Bailly will limit the options in defence due to coronavirus problems, while Anthony Martial and Phil Jones have long-term problems with their injuries. Also, Daniel James got injured in Spain last week and it remains to be seen whether he can feature this time around.
Granada will also have their worries about suspensions, as Domingos Duarte and Yan Eteki will miss out on trip to Old Trafford. Luis Milla and Neyder Lozano are also among players who will not play, as both are injured, limiting options for the La Liga outfit.
Form Guide
Granada are in a tough spot right now, at least looking at this current leg. After a 2-0 defeat at home, they will have to try and be bold at Old Trafford, something that could make them very vulnerable defensively. Nevertheless, no Granada fans will be disappointed whatever the outcome on Thursday, considering they have managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League in their first ever European campaign. In fact, some 10 years ago, they were in Spain’s fourth tier, showing just how far they have come. After their 2-0 loss at home to United, Granada managed to get an important away win at Real Valladolid. They won 2-1 after a late comeback, with goals from Jorge Molin and Qwuini coming in the span of just eight minutes.
Granada are currently in eighth place with 39 points after 30 games and that is probably the best they will get, as Villarreal are in front with a seven-point lead. This should all mean Granada will not be playing in Europe next season.
Man United, on the other hand, have won all three matches since the international break ended. After a 2-1 win over Brighton and 2-0 win in Spain, Man United managed to make a comeback against Tottenham Hotspur and beat them 3-1 in London. That means United now have five wins in last six matches and an expected win at Granada would not only improve that run, but also show everyone else in Europa League they are here to win it again, the same way they did in 2017.
Predicted Outcome
While the Red Devils might not go full strength in this one, saving some energy for the weekend and new expected challenges in the Europa League, they will still be the favourites. That is why we expect Manchester United to win with at least a two-goal margin, similarly to how they fared in Spain in the first leg. Granada have done brilliantly to get this far, but they are simply too far behind United in terms of squad quality and playing at Old Trafford will also be a huge occasion for most players in that side. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side should not have a problem.
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