Manchester United return to UEFA Champions League action when they face Young Boys at the Stage de Suisse in Bern this evening. It will be the clubs first participation in the competition since their group stage exit last season when they failed to get a point from their last two matches, beaten by Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the final two group stage matches, exiting the competition and falling into the UEFA Europa League, where they went all the way to the final against Villarreal but were beaten 11-10 on penalties with David De Gea not making a single save, missing his penalty. Water under the bridge now.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get out of the group stages of the Champions League this season, after learning a lot last season in their tough group, despite beating PSG and Leipzig in the opening two matches, losing to Istanbul Basaksehir, then beating the Turkish side, falling to defeat against PSG and Leipzig in the final two matches of the competition. This season though, United are playing positively with the signings that have been made and the experience brought to the squad should give United a lot more going forward. Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane will add a lot of that themselves.
Manchester United:
De Gea;
Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw;
Fred, Van de Beek;
Sancho, Fernandes, Pogba;
Ronaldo
Substitutes:
Heaton, Kovar; Bailly, Varane, Dalot; Mata, Lingard, Matic; Martial, Greenwood, Elanga
BSC Young Boys:
Von Ballmoos;
Hefti, Camara, Lauper, Garcia;
Sierro, Pereira;
Fassnacht, Aebischer, Nagtaleu;
Elia
Substitutes:
Zbinden, Faivre, Zesiger, Spielmann, Kanga, Sulejmani, Jankewitz, Burgy, Siebatcheu, Mambimbi, Maceiras, Rieder
United and Young Boys have met a total of two times in the UEFA Champions League. United have won both matches, scoring four goals. Both matches were played in the group stages of the competition during the 2018/19 season. United won the first match 3-0 with Paul Pogba scoring a brace (one goal from the penalty spot) and Anthony Martial scoring the other. The match was played at the Stade de Suisse. At Old Trafford, it was a 1-0 victory for United with Marouane Fellaini scoring the only goal of the match. United will be seeking to continue their unbeaten run against the Swiss side.
There is no real connection between Manchester United and Young Boys. United have never bought a player from the Swiss club and Young Boys have never bought or loaned a player directly from United. However, a player who has previously played for United has played for Young Boys. Saidy Janko, who was once part of the United academy was loaned to the Swiss side during the 2019/20 season. Janko started life at FC Zurich and was purchased by United in the summer of 2013, playing in the academy. He made one appearance for United’s first team,28 for the U23s, scoring one goal and six assists and four appearances for the U19s.
Written by John Walker
