Having come out on top in the first leg 3-1, Manchester United travel to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the second leg of this Champions League play-off tie. The winner gets a place in the Group Stages of the Champions League proper. Club Brugge have already beaten Greek side Panathanaikos to reach this far. They lost the first leg but rallied to win at home in the second-leg and thus advanced on aggregate.
This will be the 320th European game for Manchester United and the 285th for Club Brugge. It’ll be the 98th European duel between an English and a Belgian side. Club Brugge are depleted with over ten injuries in the squad, including their captain Timmy Simons. He had only missed one game for Brugge before, that was back in 2004. Defender Brandon Mechele is suspended having seen red in the first-leg.
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Both teams go into this one on the back of a bad display. Club Brugge lost to Zulte Wagrem 2-0 at the weekend. Meanwhile Manchester United were held 0-0 at home to Newcastle, making the incentive to win so much greater for these two sides on the night of the Champions League play-off tie.
Here are three key battles that could decide who goes through to the group stages:
Oscar Duarte vs Marouane Fellaini
The centre-back will play his 100th official game for Club Brugge, and faces the tough task of containing Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini. Duarte has already faced Rooney before, when Costa Rica took on England in the 2014 World Cup and held them to a draw. He also scored against Uruguay, and scoring is a habit of his making him a problem at set-pieces.
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Fellaini is perhaps the undisputed king of set-pieces though. The towering Belgian is pretty much guaranteed to win any aerial challenge and often does just that. With Louis van Gaal declaring that Fellaini will be deployed more as a striker this season, expect him to get forward a lot against Brugge and their weakened back-line.
With Engels, Denswil and Simons out injured, and Mechele out suspended; Duarte clearly has the odds stacked against him. Fellaini scored in the first-leg and will be given more of an opportunity to get goals as he is likely to start ahead of Adnan Januzaj.
Having such a powerful option in attack along with Wayne Rooney presents a big problem for Brugge to deal with. Because even if they match the physicality, they still have to contend with the pace and skill of Memphis Depay and Juan Mata on the wings as well as the overlapping full-backs.
Tom De Sutter vs Daley Blind
Veteran striker Tom De Sutter is playing his last game for Club Brugge before he completes a transfer move to Turkey. He will want the perfect send-off, which means scoring against Manchester United and overturning the deficit and heading through against all odds.
In charge of preventing that from happening is Daley Blind, who has looked inconsistent in his new role in the heart of defence. The Dutch international should be partnered by the much-improved Chris Smalling again as the Manchester United defence look to continue their strong start. The only goal they have conceded so far this season was Michael Carrick’s own goal in the first-leg.
But Blind has not been perfect and did look suspect at times against Club Brugge in the first-leg. He is not a centre-back by trade and so is still learning the in’s and out’s of the position. That said, if Blind has a good game against Brugge in this second-leg then it will not only improve his confidence, but the Manchester United fans confidence in him too.
If Tom De Sutter does not start, Club Brugge still have a number of attacking options to call upon. French forward Abdoualy Diaby featured in the first game against Manchester United and could do so again. Tuur Dierckx is also in with a chance, as is Nikola Storm.
Claudemir vs Bastian Schweinsteiger
Brazilian midfielder Claudemir came on as a substitute in the game at Old Trafford due to injury, and is almost certain to start against United in the second-leg in Brugge. He has plenty of experience, netting against Barcelona in 2010 while playing for FC Copenhagen. He also scored against Galatasaray in 2013.
But Schweinsteiger is a European veteran, having spent so long at Bayern Munich where he won the Champions League in 2012/13. Schweinsteiger is likely to be given the nod ahead of Michael Carrick as he builds up his match-fitness ready for regular league games. The German World Cup winner will partner Morgan Schneiderlin in the centre of Manchester United’s midfield.
While Claudemir isn’t a bad player, he is no Schweinsteiger. Ruud Vormer could partner Claudemir in the midfield to contain Manchester United. It remains to be seen just how Brugge will approach this game. Depending on how defensive they want to be will affect how effective Claudemir will be.
Next: United will face Championship leaders in Capital One Cup third round