Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players have one last opportunity to right all of their this season’s wrongs as they set to face Sevilla in the semi-final of the Europa League on Sunday.
The United side was dumped out in the last four of this year’s Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and a repeat of that in the Europa League would be completely unacceptable.
Ole has called on his boys to step up as a win over Sevilla to reach a major European final would sound horns of the theory that this team is going places fast. A place in the final against Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk is the prize on offer.
The last meeting between Manchester United and Sevilla was just over two years ago. United got dumped out of the Champions League last-16 by the La Liga side in their own backyard. It was a forgetful performance for United that signaled the final months of Jose Mourinho’s reign as United’s manager.
United players, as well as fans, would love to forget the bitter experience from those days. However, standing in their way is a force of nature in this competition.
Sevilla have won the Europa League five times since it was re-branded, and the Spanish side currently has a top-class tactician in the dugout in Julen Lopetegui.
They beat English side Wolverhampton Wanderers, to set up this semi-final showdown with Manchester United.
Sevilla showed against Wolves just what a supremely talented and very well organised elite European brute they are, with and without the ball.
They have also conceded just one goal in their last eight games in all competitions, and finished in fourth place finish – level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid – in the La Liga league.
Related:
- Shakhtar Donetsk hammer FC Basel
- Bayern Munich humilates Barcelona in ten goal thriller in Lisbon
- Champions League: Manchester City crash out at the quarter-finals yet again
Team news
Manchester United team news
Manchester United had six days of preparation and enough time to check on the fitness and readiness of the team, and the manager has said the Reds are mentally and physically ready for this third chance to reach a final in 2019/20.
After rotating his starting line-up for LASK’s visit to Old Trafford in the round of 16, Ole opted for an XI resembling those selected in the latter weeks of the Premier League when he picked his team against FC Copenhagen.
Sergio Romero kept his spot in goal as is the usual in United’s cup competitions, with David De Gea named as a substitute. Eric Bailly and Fred were deployed ahead of Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic as well.
Ole face the same selection hiccup ahead of United’s semi-final, while Juan Mata made a case for a starting berth during the extra-time victory over the Danes with a stellar cameo off the bench.
Scott McTominay also made a case to start after his inclusion at Stadion Koln to make United more solid in the midfield.
Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, and Axel Tuanzebe remain on the sidelines for the Reds. They didn’t travel to Germany with the rest of the squad.
“We’re fine. Obviously the ones we’ve left home are still there,” Ole confirmed in a separate interview with MUTV when asked if there were any injury concerns.
Sevilla team news
Sevilla manager, Julen Lopetegui, might feature the same side which appeared to come through Tuesday’s 1-0 quarter-final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Serbian midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, who has missed the Andalusians’ last two games in continental competition after testing positive for COVID-19 in July, rejoined training in Dusseldorf on Friday and is now available for selection.
I feel very good. I was well all the time at home,
Gudelj tells Sevilla club media.
It was difficult being at home for two weeks, knowing that you’re well and can help the team, but with the virus, you can’t go out. It was difficult but I was good, training at home. I knew that I could test negative at any moment and I had to be ready to help the team.
Stats and facts heading into the match (backed by Opta)
- Manchester United have progressed to the final from each of their past four European semi-final appearances (2008, 2009 and 2011 Champions League and 2017 Europa League), winning the trophy on two of those four occasions.
- United and Sevilla’s only two meetings were in the last 16 of the 2017-18 Champions League, with Sevilla winning 2-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg, after a goalless draw in the first leg.
- The Red Devils have been awarded 21 penalties in all competitions this season (four in the Europa League, including Bruno Fernandes’ extra-time winner against FC Copenhagen in the quarter-final) – more than any other side across Europe’s top five leagues.
- Sevilla have reached the Europa League semi-final on three previous occasions and gone on to win the tournament each time (2014, 2015, 2016). They have only been eliminated in one of their past 20 knockout ties in the competition, losing 6-5 on aggregate to Slavia Prague in the last 16 in 2018-19.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won 49 of his 89 matches in charge of Manchester United. Victory in this game would see him become the third-fastest manager to reach 50 wins in the club’s history, after Ernest Mangnall (78) and Jose Mourinho (81).
- Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in more Europa League goals this season than any other player (11 for Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon combined). He has either scored (seven) or assisted (four) in seven of his nine appearances in the competition this campaign.
Match Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Sevilla
7 thoughts on “Manchester United vs Sevilla preview: One step away from the final of the Europa League”