Manchester United will face AZ Alkmaar at the Cars Jeans Stadium in The Hague this evening. The match will kick-off at 17:55 BST, giving United a few hours more to prepare for the trip to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking under pressure this season as his team struggles, which he will hope to change before the international break.
The Norwegian manager has a similar record as Jose Mourinho in the 27 matches before the Arsenal draw which has led to supporters questioning whether Solskjaer is the right man for the job. Imagine having social media in the mid to late 1980s – Sir Alex Ferguson would not have stood a chance with the modern-day football supporter.
AZ Alkmaar manager Arne Slot will be seeking more of the same from his squad, which have lost just one match in the Eredivisie this season. Starting their season at the end of July, the Dutch side will be in better form and fitness than this United squad, who seem to be suffering many injuries early on. United won their first match, the Dutch drew theirs.
Manchester United:
De Gea;
Dalot, Lindelof, Rojo, Williams;
Matic;
Mata, Gomes, Fred, James;
Greenwood
Substitutes:
Romero; Maguire, Tuanzebe; Lingard, McTominay; Rashford, Chong
AZ Alkmaar:
Bizot;
Sugawara, Vlaar, Wuytens, Wijndal;
Midtsjø, De Wit, Koopmeiners;
Stengs, Boadu, Idrissi
Substitutes:
De Boer, Hatzidiakos, Ouwejan, Druijf, Aboukhlal, Clasie, Reijnders
United and AZ Alkmaar have never played a competitive match in the history of both clubs. However, the Dutch side has played English clubs in European competition, never actually beating an English side. United has played many Dutch sides in European competition, beating Ajax and Feyenoord in this competition in the 2016/17 season, in which United lifted the trophy in the final played in Sweden.
