The Europa League offers up a Battle of Britain today, when struggling Premier League giants, Manchester United, welcome Scottish outfit, Rangers, to Old Trafford.
While the Red Devils currently sit seventh in the 36-team table, the Gers are just one point and one place further back in eighth spot.
Languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table, Man United’s hopes of securing European football for next season seem to be fading every passing week, with 11 points now separating the 20-time English champions from the top seven, while they are 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
Success in the Europa League would salvage something positive from what has been a dismal campaign thus far, and Man United are on course to secure an automatic last-16 spot as they currently sit inside the top eight, one point clear of ninth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with two games remaining they beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 away in their most recent match last month.
The Red Devils, one of five teams who are yet to lose in this season’s Europa League, will face FCSB in their final League Phase fixture, but they must first focus on Thursday’s clash with a Rangers outfit whom they have never suffer defeat against in four previous meetings (W3 D1), keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Amorim is not the only manager under pressure to grind out positive results, as Philippe Clement is tasked with turning Rangers’ fortunes around on all fronts after being backed by the club’s hierarchy.
Since enduring a run of just two wins in eight games across all competitions, and since CEO Patrick Stewart revealed that “changing a manager isn’t a silver bullet solution”, Rangers have won each of their last three matches under Clement by an aggregate score of 11-1.
Rangers may sit 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, but they are in a decent position to secure a last-16 spot in the Europa League, currently clinging on to a top-eight position, while they are four points clear of the elimination zone heading into their final two fixtures against Man United and Union SG.
The Glaswegian giants, who picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with Spurs in their last Europa League match, travel to Old Trafford on Thursday having won just one of their last eight European away games against English opposition – a 2-1 success over Leeds United in qualifying for the 1992-93 Champions League.
Marcus Rashford has missed the Red Devils’ last nine matches since featuring in the Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on December 12, and the attacker is set to remain away from Amorim’s side amidst uncertainty over his future, while Antony is also unlikely to feature as he is reportedly close to joining Real Betis on loan.
—Sportsmole
