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After an FA Cup failure Man United is gearing up to take on another big name – Real Sociedad! It’s the third time in five seasons these teams are clashing in the competition, and Man United should be excited, especially considering Real’s recent struggles.
But history isn’t on Real’s side, as they haven’t scored in their last three meetings at home. Coach Imanol Alguacil should feel good about changing that, though, since his team has found the net in all ten of their Europa League matches this season. Plus, they usually shine at the Reale Arena, where they’ve only lost twice in 14 matches across all competitions, with four wins in a row in this tournament.
An injury-hit Manchester United squad is heading to Spain, and fatigue is a concern after their FA Cup run ended on Sunday with a penalty shootout loss to Fulham. That’s three losses in their last six matches, putting pressure on head coach Ruben Amorim, who’s feeling the heat from fans not just for the results but also for the team’s style of play.
The Red Devils have been more of an attacking threat in the Europa League, averaging 18.8 shots per game—the highest of any remaining team. They’ve also lost just one of their last eight European away matches against Spanish teams, but that loss was their most recent game against Sevilla, a 3-0 defeat. Plus, six of their last seven European campaigns ended with them getting knocked out by a La Liga side.
La Real are the favorites for the first leg:
(*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change)
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Brais Méndez scored both home and away against Midtjylland in the knockout round and is the only Sociedad player to have ever scored against Manchester United. Meanwhile, visiting captain Bruno Fernandes is leading the charge for his team, with 24 direct goal contributions this season—at least ten more than any other fit United player.
Real Sociedad will miss Hamari Traoré, but they’ll have their top Europa League scorer, Orri Óskarsson, who has netted four goals, along with Mikel Oyarzabal and Ander Barrenetxea, both with three goals each.
Manchester United will be without Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo until next season, and Luke Shaw is also out. This game might come too soon for Kobbie Mainoo and Tobias Collyer. There’s currently no return date for Mason Mount, Altay Bayindir, and Jonny Evans.
This will be the seventh meeting between Real Sociedad and Manchester United in the last 12 years, with United leading the series 3-1. Interestingly, Real Sociedad hasn’t managed to beat Manchester United in their last two home matches, and the Red Devils also won 4-0 on neutral ground.
Hot Stat: Manchester United has scored before half-time in just one of their last five Europa League matches.
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