PBP: UCL - Manchester United FC vs Sevilla FC - March 13, 2018 [R]

Just win baby, that's all! It's as simple as it gets really.

 

Sevilla comes in losing to Valencia on two counter attacking goals by Rodrigo.

They play high up, and like to keep possession under Montella. I doubt that will be their approach come Tuesday.

 

Sevilla created relatively little at home vs Valencia and made some bad mistakes defensively. If they are as careless Tuesday, that will only help us then.
Their sharp and incisive counter attacking game is what concerns me the most and what United will have to be wary of.

 

Sounds like Jones has returned to training.

 

Looks like Jesus Navas could miss out tomorrow due to injury.

 

Anyone missed him ?

 

Jose did confirm that Martial is fit again and will available tomorrow. Pogs is still a doubt at this point: he did join in training later after the press left and took a small part in today's session.
Rojo, Blind, Jones and Herrera are all unavailable.

 

Pogs will be a sub at best I think.

 

As long as he's not unnecessarily risked. After the Brighton, there are no games for another 2wks because of the international break, which should give him more than enough time to completely recover.
As opposed to risking him and potentially losing him a lot longer. We should be able to see off Sevilla without him.

 

I hope we don't get hung up stats after the victory tomorrow as some of us did this weekend after we dispatched Liverpool. The only thing that's important is victory. We can play for style points and pad our stats against the likes of Watford and West Ham.

 

The team I'd go with for tomorrow:

Dave
Valencia. Bailly. Smalling. AY
McTominay. Matic
Mata. Sanchez. Rashford
Lukaku

The same team we put out vs Pool essentially. Working on the assumption that Pogba is not 100% for this one and will not be ready, as expected.
That team did very well (in the first half particularly) this past weekend and deserves another run out tomorrow. The only legitimate questions would be Lindelof for Smalling, and Martial for Rash.
But to their credit, both Smalls and Rash were superb and might as well stay with the hot hand. Mata keeps his place on the right, with his creativity desperately needed for tomorrow as well.
Lingard, Fellaini and Martial are all great options coming off the bench, if required. Plus, Jose can rotate this weekend for the FA Cup when Brighton comes to OT.

 

Same team except Rashford for Martial.

 

Nothing against Martial at all (love the guy as well), but for me that would just be a stupid move on Jose's part. Rashford is fresh (having figured sporadically of late) and has to be supremely confident coming off a 2 goal display vs Pool.
And his more direct style in a game we'll essentially be looking to put our foot on Sevilla's throat and keep it there, makes him easily the better choice this time around.

 

This is where Mourinho's tactics could bite us in the arse. With the away goal rule, what you should be looking to do is put this one out of reach with 2 or 3 goals when on home turf. If we go 1 up, and the team retreat...invite pressure and concede a late goal...Mourinho's tactics will be to blame. Not saying this will happen, but if it comes to pass....it will be on him.

 

Exactly. I am very intrigued because he has to be able to balance the defensive side but score goals.

Can we win 1-0? sure, but I wouldn't bet against Sevilla putting one in. You are playing with fire at 1-0.

Can we win 3-0 suffocate the living thing out of them and not let them get out of their own box? I highly doubt it.

 

That's precisely the point. This is not a game where we can be too calculating or think that getting a one goal lead will be enough to see us through.
We've got to go hard against them right off the bat and create as much separation as possible. We saw it this past weekend vs Pool and hopefully, despite his defiant stance, Jose will have learned something from it. Because of the way we completely retreated vs Pool in the second half, it would not have been surprising if they had tied us.
We can't stop until it's relatively late in the game and we've got a 2-3 goal cushion. With Sevilla's hard counter attacking style, anything less could make a very nervy end to the game. That's why I've always hated a 0-0 scoreline in that situation going into a home second leg. Short of a defeat, it's arguably the most dangerous scores there is IMO.

 

Wonder if Bailly is really fit enough to play two 90s in four days after such a long layoff. Wouldn't be surprised to see Lindelof come back in for him. Otherwise Lingard in for Mata I'd wager and otherwise unchanged from the game against Pool. Pogba and Martial both only making the bench.

I'd be pretty surprised if we make it out of this one without some nervy moments, but I do think we'll make it out.

 

The Sevilla game could be the most important one of the season - Matic

www.espn.com/soccer/manchester-united/story/3415058/nemanja-matic-sevilla-game-maybe-the-most-important-of-the-season

Here's hoping that the intensity and the quality of play from the United side at least, matches those words from Matic.
Mourinho kind of set it up that way as well prior to the Pool game, implying that this game (along with the Brighton one in the FA Cup) are vital themselves.
Just no repeat on Monaco in 97-98 please: was 20yrs ago but the memory of that game has not faded, unfortunately...

 

Tactics which worked well against Chelsea and Liverpool should not be abandoned against Sevilla. We have a squad made for counterattacking and I'd hate to see arrogance cause our defeat.

Maybe we'll suddenly find the champagne football quality to destroy a pretty decent Sevilla side who have won 4 of their last 6 away matches and have everything to play for tomorrow as their top four hopes in La Liga are pretty much done and dusted...but I doubt it.

This is their cup final. Will they go for it or play their own counter/attack? Probably the latter and if they do set up with a low block against us of course we'll dominate possession but no one should be under the illusion that we'll allow ourselves to be beaten on the counter with bodies. And if they go for it from the start we'll defend as we did against Liverpool and hit them with route one or pace from Rashford.

2-0 FT.

 

Montella expects United to attack.

www.goal.com/en-us/news/worried-montella-expecting-manchester-united-to-attack/spqwkngxsix71nempkpv0r9ye

There are 2 ways Sevilla can play this really. They can either back down, defend for their lives and try to snake this smash and grab style, with a goal in the dying minutes. That scenario is just unlikely because their defense is not good enough to contain an extensive assault from United.
The other way and what I believe will happen, is that they will look to score early to gain the game initiative. United will have no choice but to attack themselves and it would allow Sevilla then to unleash their favorite weapon: quick counters looking for Muriel and Nolito.
Bailey will definitely be required for this game, as we need to retain a solid defensive shape. Don't expect it to be an issue with fatigue with him: I believe those are the game Jose was saving him for, despite being fit and making match day squads 2 weeks back.

 

Same thought crossed my mind

Apparently was McT that left Pogs with a gash in his leg;

http://www.goal.com/en/news/alexis-...r-manchester-united/htjxkas5s4th1hdiidng2w8qy

 

McTonya Harding ...