Setting the scene
It’s very simple. Manchester United really need to beat Feyenoord on Thursday.
The Premier League club have struggled more than they would have liked to in their Europa League group, and a win for Feyenoord would (nearly) all but seal United’s fate.
If Feyenoord win and Fenerbahçe beat Zorya, both the Dutch and Turkish side qualify.
That’s how things stand right now, and Manchester United will come into this game knowing they need to turn up and avoid making the same mistakes they made against Arsenal, which is basically putting the game to bed.
Furthermore, in contrast to Manchester United’s league form, Feyenoord currently top the Eredivisie, winning 10 of a possible 13 games, and are two points ahead of AFC Ajax.
The fact that Feyenoord are without a win in their last three European away fixtures should give them some help, but complacency is the last thing José Mourinho will want from his men right now.
One to look out for
Mourinho will know all about Tony Vilhena, who scored the only goal of the game in Feyenoord’s 1-0 win in September, yet it’s the Dutch side’s number 9 who could make the difference at Old Trafford.
Nicolai Jørgensen has scored 11 goals in 19 games for Feyenoord so far this season, also picking up six assists, and, with the likes of Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly out, could use his size to bully Manchester United’s replacement centre-backs.
He is also the Eredivisie’s top goalscorer, tied with FC Twente’s Enes Ünal and Ajax’s Kasper Dolberg.
United fans will remember Jørgensen as the guy who was wrongly ruled onside on Feyenoord’s counter back in September, before setting up Vilhena for their goal.
Injuries and suspensions
United will take solace in the fact that two of Feyenoord’s key defenders, centre-back Eric Botteghin (suspended) and left-back Terence Kongolo (injured), are unavailable for the trip to England.
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst will also have to make do without their starting midfielder Karim El Ahmadi, who has picked up a foot injury, starting goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer (who has been out all season), centre-back Sven Van Beek and backup goalkeeper Warner Hahn.
Predicted XI
Van Bronckhorst hasn’t really given any clue as to how he is going to deal with his defensive injury crisis, but there is a strong chance the manager will stick to a 4-3-3 with two sitting midfielders.
This normally leads to Dirk Kuyt playing as an attacking midfielder, annoying opposition defences.
At the back, the inclusions of van der Heijden and Renato Tapia (according to Dutch reports) are also highly likely, while Miquel Nelom was used at the weekend instead of Kongolo at left-back.
Sport Witness predicted XI: Jones, Karsdorp, van der Heijden, Tapia, Nelom, Vilhena, Vejinovic, Basacikoglu, Kuyt, Toornstra, Jørgensen.
