Manchester United will be aiming to return to winning ways when they entertain a star-studded Barcelona side in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. The Red Devils have recently gone through a tough run with three defeats from the previous four matches, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to find some much-needed inspiration from the side as they seek to overcome the challenge posed by the Blaugrana on Wednesday.
Formation: 4-3-3
Predicted Lineup:
David de Gea has been the undisputed goalkeeping choice when it comes to the Premier League and Champions League games, and the Spaniard is expected to start between the sticks. The 28-year-old has witnessed a mixed campaign by his standards, but he may need to produce a strong showing to keep the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at bay.
In the defence, Ole is unlikely to tinker from the regular combination. Luke Shaw and Ashley Young should once more slot into the right and left side of the backline with Victor Lindelof partnering Chris Smalling in the central defensive positions. Young, in particular, had a forgettable game against the Wolves last time around where he was sent off, but the Englishman continues to remain the first pick for the right-back spot ahead of Diogo Dalot.
In the midfield, Nemanja Matic may find himself benched once more with Scott McTominay likely to slot into the holding role. The Serbian has been a credible performer for the Red Devils in the past 21 months, but he may not feature from the off, considering his slow transition in play which may not suit the game. Alongside McTominay, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba are very much certain to start and the latter’s performance could be essential to United getting a positive result on the night.
In the attack front, Jesse Lingard should get the axe after failing to impress in the recent league defeat at Wolves. In this case, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the likely candidates to feature in the wide attacking positions with Romelu Lukaku continuing leading the line. The Belgian was guilty of squandering clear-cut chances early on against Wolves, and he can’t afford such lapses against Blaugrana, if United are to take an advantage from the quarter final first leg.
