The Hard Tackle lists three players who can have a positive impact when Manchester United and Bayern Munich meet at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League group stage will kick off on Tuesday. The marquee match of the latest round of fixtures will have Manchester United and Bayern Munich clashing at Old Trafford.
Manchester United are hanging by a thread in the UEFA Champions League after winning only one of their first five games. In addition, the Red Devils do not have an impressive record at home across all competitions, recently losing 3-0 to Bournemouth. So, Erik ten Hag and his charges have faint hopes of reaching the Last 16.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich suffered a shock 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt this past weekend. But the Bundesliga champions are already through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League after an unbeaten start to the campaign. A loss will not affect their spot, but Thomas Tuchel’s charges will be eager to return to winning ways this midweek.
Manchester United will not have any margin of error, while the Bayern Munich players can express themselves freely. With that in mind, individual performances will greatly influence the proceedings on Tuesday. And The Hard Tackle lists three “key players” for the game at Old Trafford.
Joshua Kimmich
While Harry Kane will invariably be under the spotlight, as is often the case when he takes the field, we have picked another player whose performance will be even more crucial, keeping in mind the stakes at play for both clubs. We are talking about Joshua Kimmich.
The German international tends to go into creative overdrive mode when the pressure is off his shoulders. That will be the case on Tuesday, with Kimmich pulling the strings from the middle of the park. In addition, he will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
If he fulfils his objective, Kimmich, who has courted interest from clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona, will frustrate Erik ten Hag and his charges. That will, in turn, spell doom for Manchester United and their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
So, Thomas Tuchel, who has an impressive recent record against Manchester United, will look to extend it by deploying Kimmich as his most important player on Tuesday. The Liverpool, Barcelona target will be raring to go in the midweek UEFA Champions League tie.
Rasmus Hojlund
Our list continues with two Manchester United players. As is often the case with these features, we pick two players from the underdog team. So, our second candidate for Tuesday’s fixture is Rasmus Hojlund.
The Danish international is experiencing a trial by fire in his debut season with Manchester United. Such has been the extent of his struggles at the club that he has yet to score his first Premier League goal. But that has not been the case in the UEFA Champions League for the young striker.
The 20-year-old is the joint-top scorer in the UEFA Champions League this season alongside Erling Haaland and Alvaro Morata, with five goals to his name. In fact, the Manchester United striker has a better scoring rate than the other two players alongside him stop the list.
So, Hojlund will be Manchester United’s best bet to get something out of the game, especially with Marcus Rashford struggling. The Englishman might also miss the game due to illness, adding the responsibility on Hojlund’s shoulders. If he rises to the occasion, Manchester United can spring a surprise and punch their ticket to the Last 16.
Scott McTominay
Outscoring Bayern Munich is the only way Manchester United can clinch three points on Tuesday, considering their defensive struggles this season. With that in mind, our third and final pick of this list is Scott McTominay.
The Scottish international was out of favour with Erik ten Hag ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Dutch tactician had even sanctioned McTominay’s sale, with West Ham United coming close to securing his services. But a move did not materialise, which has been a blessing in disguise for the Red Devils.
McTominay has earned Manchester United many crucial points in the Premier League, scoring match-winning braces against Brentford and Chelsea. So, with the Red Devils desperately searching for goals from the squad, the 27-year-old can be his team’s saviour again.
