(Football news) After a humiliating 7-0 defeat, Manchester United will be desperate to bounce back against Real Betis in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg tie. The Red Devils overcame Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the play-offs while Real Betis defeated Roma, HJK Helsinki and Ludogorets to secure top spot in Group C. Prior to their defeat to Liverpool, Manchester United had scored at least two goals in 12 successive games and their record at Old Trafford is even better. A victory against Real Betis will be Manchester United’s 20th unbeaten match in a row at home.
Former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini will return to Old Trafford and will be quietly confident, especially after Manchester United’s embarrassing defeat. Real Betis defeated Almeria, Real Valladolid and Elche, scoring eight goals and conceding five in the process and also held champions of Europe Real Madrid to a goalless draw despite having just 38% possession. Their record in the group stage was nearly perfect as they won five games and secured one draw, dropping points only against AS Roma during a 1-1 draw. Their match against Manchester United will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides and their record against English teams is poor.
In team news for Manchester United, Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen are unavailable for selection due to injuries but Casemiro should be back in the startling lineup. Victor Lindelof is a doubt due to a minor unspecified problem while Anthony Martial continues to recover from a hip problem. Erik ten Hag could make a few changes with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia potentially featuring in the team with Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane looking doubtful.
As for Real Betis, Nabil Fekir is out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Midfielder Juan Cruz is also expected to miss out due to an existing muscular problem but Sergio Canales is back in training after missing the match against Real Madrid due to a quadriceps issue. The likes of Claudio Bravo, German Pezzella, Luiz Felipe and Aitor Ruibal are walking on the tight rope as getting a yellow card will make them miss the 2nd leg of the Round of 16 clash. A narrow victory for Manchester United seems like the most likely result from this fixture.
Also read: Arsenal face Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16 of the Europa League
