How Manchester United should form against Villarreal in the Champions League match – Samuel Lockhurst

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Manchester United host Villarreal at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

This is the first confrontation between the two sides since Villarreal won the Europa League final on penalties at United’s expense in Gdansk, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hoping to atone for that defeat with a much-needed victory in the Champions League.

United will have to recover after a tumultuous week, which saw them knock out the Carabao Cup against West Ham before also losing their unbeaten Premier League record, losing 1-0 at home to Aston Villa – a shocking pair. of the results.

The Reds started their Champions League campaign after losing to PSC Young Boys – the momentum of the game changed when Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off – and they need to get a positive result against Villarreal if they are to advance.

On what start will Solskjaer rely on the starting lineup for the match? Here’s how our men’s writers think United should line up…

Manchester United have enjoyed an exciting transfer period, including the signings of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and… oh, yes, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be under pressure to deliver titles with his star-studded front streak. We cover every corner of the club at MEN and with our dedicated newsletter, you’ll never miss a major headline. It’s free and there is no spam.

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Samuel Lockhurst

Francis Coquelin is suspended and Gerard Moreno is injured. Villarreal have not lost in regular time this season and have drawn in six of their seven matches – four of them 0-0. United must be up front if they are to break their streak of five-of-five draws against the Europa League winners.

If Luke Shaw is fit, this makes the four rear selections easier. If not, United may have to absorb the unconvincing Alex Telles.

United need a midfield maker, which has to be Donny van de Beek, and the natural supply in Jadon Sancho. Paul Pogba offers the flexibility to switch from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 if Villarreal has a sense of adventure.

Six changes

Tyrone Marshall

Defensive issues mean United are pretty stumped when it comes to selection. Varane should start but I’m not sure I’d risk Shaw, so Dalot, Lindelof and Telles could all join the team.

Van de Beek started many Champions League matches such as the Premier League matches with United and was performing well two weeks ago until he was substituted at halftime. He could partner with McTominay to try and give United more control in midfield and some adventure when moving the ball forward.

Given United’s precarious position in the group, they can’t take much risk with selection, so Pogba, Fernandes and Ronaldo have to start, but the only change that can be made is to rest Greenwood and give Sancho a chance down the right.

Who are the players that will make up your United squad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Rich Fi

United need to make changes from their terrible showing at the weekend, but ideally, they were in midfield rather than defence. Dalot and Telles are the only two linebackers changes while Lindelof is best suited as a partner in mobile Varane.

Fred and McTominay cannot continue to play together, and including Matic would make sense against this attacking side. Van de Beek will be an exciting addition to his side.

United have options up front, but they need to start their strongest trio with Pogba and Greenwood in the wide roles, while Ronaldo is the only option through the middle.

Stephen Rylston

Solskjaer has confirmed Shaw has an outside opportunity to start against Villarreal after taking a knock at the weekend, however, if the left-back is deemed unfit, Telles could come in and Dalot has already proven he is ready to contribute on the right.

Although Maguire has been ruled out due to injury, he may be suffering from Euro 2020 hangovers and Lindelof has a golden opportunity here.

Fred has often been the scapegoat for Manchester United, but the Brazilian’s recent performance hasn’t been good enough and certainly now is the time for Solskjaer to put his faith in Van de Beek alongside McTominay – the Dutchman deserves to start.

Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba and Ronaldo should remain unchanged in attack, but all four have to pull off after Saturday’s defeat.

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