Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnais are underway in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
It’s really Europa League success or bust for Ruben Amorim in his maiden Red Devils season, with the competition also posing as United’s only route to playing European football next season.
Regardless of tonight’s result, they will enter matchweek 32 in the Premier League in 13th place and a whopping 15 points adrift of the top five, which could make for a considerably quieter campaign on the fixture front next term.
United are, however, one of the favourites to reign victorious in the UEL for the second time in their history, so it’s up to those on the pitch to not buckle under the pressure of a hostile atmosphere and get the job done.
Sky Sports reporter: United’s finishing left a lot to be desired pre-kick off
Taking a lead into next week’s reverse leg at Old Trafford would come as a huge boost for Amorim. That way, United can get over the line and book their spot in the semis in front of their faithful supporters and surrounded by their home comforts.
The scoreline is currently tied at 0-0 after the opening 15 minutes, with the goalscoring burden falling on Rasmus Hojlund tonight, who leads the line in front of Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.
Melissa Reddy shared a slightly concerning update from the Groupama Stadium prior to kick-off, though, as she stated on Sky Sports News’ live page: “Uh-oh. [I’ve been] watching United’s sequence of attacking drills and let’s just say Ruben Amorim will be hoping his players are simply saving the good stuff for the game.”
Should the boss be dissatisfied with what his forwards have produced come the interval, he has Joshua Zirkzee, Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen to call upon from the bench if necessary.
