Manchester United are set to face Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw in San Sebastian, with Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty canceling out Joshua Zirkzee’s opener. United will have home advantage for the crucial return fixture at Old Trafford.
Context & Recent Form
United come into this match after securing a hard-fought Premier League draw against Arsenal on Sunday. However, their recent form has been inconsistent, with three consecutive draws across 90 minutes in all competitions. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are struggling, having won just two of their last seven matches. They suffered a narrow defeat to Sevilla on Sunday, extending their poor run of form.
Team News & Injuries
Manchester United
Leny Yoro is sidelined with a foot injury and will miss the match, along with the upcoming league fixture against Leicester City. Harry Maguire is also unavailable but could return against Leicester this weekend. Other absentees include Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw, backup goalkeepers Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton, as well as Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo. Mason Mount is back in training but won’t feature against Sociedad, while Manuel Ugarte is set to be included in the squad.
Predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Lindelof; Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Zirkzee, Hojlund, Garnacho.
Real Sociedad
Jon Pacheco remains unavailable, while Luka Sucic and Jon Aramburu are major doubts. Aramburu was forced off with a foot injury in the defeat to Sevilla. Alvaro Odriozola and Arsen Zakharyan could return to the squad after missing recent matches. Martin Zubimendi, who missed the first leg, is set to start after returning against Sevilla.
Predicted lineup (4-1-4-1): Remiro; Traore, Zubeldia, Aguerd, Munoz; Zubimendi; Kubo, Turrientes, Mendez, Gomez; Oyarzabal.
Key Factors & Prediction
United showed glimpses of improvement in the second half against Arsenal but remain reliant on moments of individual brilliance, particularly from Bruno Fernandes. Real Sociedad’s poor away form – losing five of their last six matches on the road – could play into United’s hands.
While the game is unlikely to be a classic, United’s superior quality and home advantage could see them edge through to the quarter-finals.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Real Sociedad
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