Wolfsburg vs Manchester United: Red Devils facing European exit
Louis van Gaal's team must beat a Wolfsburg side who have lost at home just twice all season
Manchester United travel to Wolfsburg on Tuesday evening in desperate need of a win to progress to the knockout round of the Champions League.
Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin have both been ruled out of the match with injury, leaving Anthony Martial leading the line, as he did in Saturday's 0-0 draw against West Ham.
Louis van Gaal's Red Devils currently sit a point ahead of PSV Eindhoven in Group B but the Dutch side have an easy home fixture against a CSKA Moscow side who have lost five of their last six games in all competitions.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Russians have failed to take a single point from either of their away games in the Champions League so far this season.
With the knowledge that their rivals will almost certainly triumph over CSKA Moscow, United know that a draw will not be enough for them to make it into the next round - which means that they need to dig up some goals.
United have scored just once in their last three games in all competitions. The fans are beginning to get restless and Van Gaal did little to reassure them this week when he said: "I think we can always score goals - which is a little bit strange because we are not scoring too many."
French youngster Martial, likely to be playing as a sole striker, has scored just once in his last 17 games for club and country, meaning that though the goals will have to come from elsewhere on the pitch.
Step forward Memphis Depay, who filled-in up-front and scored against Watford in United's last win and is described by Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News as "one of Van Gaal's few match-winners".
There are a couple of defensive worries too, with Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo both absent, leaving Van Gaal with issues at full-back which could see him forced to use Ashley Young on the left.
Van Gaal is insistent that Wolfsburg are likely to sit back and let United attack, needing just a point themselves to qualify, but many of the signs point to a tricky European night for the Red Devils.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Manchester United and Mason Greenwood: duty of care or double standards?
Talking Point The 21-year-old footballer’s possible return has provoked an outpouring of dismay from supporters
By Jamie Timson Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man Utd win the Carabao Cup: how Erik ten Hag has ‘transformed’ the Red Devils
feature United lifted their first silverware since 2017 after beating Newcastle at Wembley
By Mike Starling Published
-
Jim Ratcliffe: petrochemical billionaire turned Man Utd bidder
In the Spotlight The Ineos owner is the first to publicly bid for the 13-time Premier League winners
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘explosive’ interview with Piers Morgan
feature Portugal captain feels ‘betrayed’ by Man Utd and believes he’s being forced out of the club
By Mike Starling Published
-
What next for Cristiano Ronaldo? How the relationship with Man Utd turned sour
Under the Radar Portugal star has ‘almost certainly’ played his last game for United as he is dropped for Chelsea clash
By Mike Starling Published
-
Manchester United: does Erik ten Hag have the ‘golden touch’?
feature Prevailing mood at Old Trafford was reminiscent of ‘how it felt during the golden years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign’
By The Week Staff Last updated