A spot in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals will be on the line when they face off in the second leg of the round of 16 at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The curtains will fall on the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. The action on the day will start with four matches before ending with four simultaneous games, including Manchester United vs Real Sociedad at Old Trafford.
Manchester United qualified for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 by finishing third in the opening phase, having been the only team to enjoy an unbeaten run in that stage. However, the Red Devils have endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign in domestic football, although their performances have improved in recent outings. The latest promising display came in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, a game Ruben Amorim’s men should have won.
On the other hand, Real Sociedad had to take the scenic route to qualify for the Europa League round of 16. La Real ended the opening phase in the 13th spot after winning only half of the eight games. However, a 7-3 win on aggregate over Midtjylland helped them reach the current stage. Meanwhile, the visitors have been dreadful in domestic football in recent outings, losing three successive games.
The first leg ended in a controversial 1-1 draw, with Real Sociedad remaining in the tie due to Mikel Oyarzabal’s equaliser from the spot. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of a dozen first-team players vs Real Sociedad on Thursday.
Leny Yoro is the latest absentee after picking up a knee injury this past weekend against Arsenal. The French defender has joined Altay Bayindir (unspecified), Tom Heaton (knock), Luke Shaw (calf), Lisandro Martinez (knee), Harry Maguire (knock), Jonny Evans (lower back), Kobbie Mainoo (muscle), Manuel Ugarte (fitness), Mason Mount (hamstring), and Amad Diallo (hamstring) on the sidelines.
However, Mount, Maguire, and Ugarte are close to returning, although Chido Obi-Martin is ineligible to take on Real Sociedad, as Manchester United failed to register him in the UEFA Europa League. However, there is some good news, as Patrick Dorgu is available.
Andre Onana will take his spot between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Real Sociedad on Thursday. The central defensive unit will feature Victor Lindelof, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu pick themselves as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Bruno Fernandes and the resurgent Casemiro. So, Toby Collyer and Christian Eriksen will be backup options on the bench. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund should lead the line for Manchester United against Real Sociedad, with Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Lindelof, de Ligt, Mazraoui; Dalot, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Garnacho, Zirkzee; Hojlund
Real Sociedad
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Imanol Alguacil has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Real Sociedad manager might be without three first-team players.
Alguacil is sweating over the fitness of Jon Aramburu (foot) and Luka Sucic (knee), with the duo facing a race against time to be available to take on Manchester United. Meanwhile, Jon Pacheco remains on the sidelines. However, Alvaro Odriozola, Arsen Zakharyan, and Martin Zubimendi are fit and available.
Alex Remiro is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Sociedad lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Thursday. The backline should feature Aritz Elustondo, Igor Zubeldia, Nayef Aguerd, and Aihen Munoz.
As for the midfield unit, Martin Zubimendi will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Benat Turrientes and Brais Mendez providing the forward thrust. Finally, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Ander Barrenetxea will form a fluid offensive trifecta for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Remiro; Elustondo, Zubeldia, Aguerd, Munoz; Turrientes, Zubimendi, Mendez; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea
Key Stats
- The seven European meetings between Manchester United and Real Sociedad have yielded only nine goals, with four strikes coming in a game in February 2021.
- Three of Real Sociedad’s four away European games in England have come at Old Trafford vs Manchester United (W1 D1 L1), with their other outing a 6-0 loss at Liverpool in November 1975.
- Manchester United’s only home defeat in their last 28 UEFA Europa League matches at Old Trafford (W21 D6) came against Real Sociedad in September 2022. In the knockout stages, they are unbeaten in 15 (W10 D5) since losing 3-2 to Athletic Club in March 2012.
- Real Sociedad won their last away game in major European competition, beating FC Midtjylland 2-1 in this season’s play-off round. However, La Real have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six away games, conceding ten goals.
- Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal in the first leg against Manchester United made him Real Sociedad’s all-time leading scorer in major European competition, overtaking Jesus Maria Satrustegui and Darko Kovacevic, who scored 10.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
While Mikel Oyarzabal and Joshua Zirkzee were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as our Player to Watch for Thursday’s clash between Manchester United and Real Sociedad.
The Manchester United captain has carried his team to many crucial points in the last few weeks, and his output on Thursday will be critical to the home side’s qualification to the quarter-finals. Expect the Portuguese international to deliver the goods again, even though he will play a deeper role.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Real Sociedad
Manchester United might be down to the barebones amid the worsening injury crisis. However, Real Sociedad’s plummeting form and undesirable record on the road should provide cause for optimism to the Old Trafford faithful. In addition, as they start counting the days to the move to their next stadium, one can expect the home fans to create a raucous atmosphere.
While La Real will give the hosts a run for their money, they might not have the quality to overcome the Red Devils this midweek. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ruben Amorim and his charges, with Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho delivering the goods.
