Manchester United -v- Sevilla
UEFA Europa League
Old Trafford, Manchester
Thursday 13 April 2023, KO 20:00 GMT
Manchester United will return to UEFA Europe League action at Old Trafford on Thursday evening as they welcome Sevilla for the quarter final first leg. This is the fourth time this season that United have met Spanish opposition in the Europa League. Real Sociedad were placed in United’s group with United losing the first match 1-0 but winning the second 1-0. Barcelona were the next Spanish club, drawing 2-2 in the first leg of the play off, winning the second leg 2-1.
United were then drawn against Real Betis, beating them 4-1 in the first leg and 1-0 in the second. United have met Sevilla three times before and have never beaten them in a competitive match. Back in 2017/18 season United met them in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 – drawing 0-0 in the first leg, losing 2-1 in the second. Back in 2020, United met them in the Europa League semi final, losing 2-1 and exiting the competition at that stage.
United have returned to winning ways following their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League the weekend before last, beating Brentford 1-0 and Everton 2-0 in the last two matches before seeking to beat Sevilla for the first time. Sevilla are six-time winners of the Europa League but their LaLiga form has been terrible this season. However, that will need to be discounted in the Europa League as they have achieved what United have so far. Erik ten Hag will want to win this.
Manchester United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists – WWLWWD
Everton 2-0 W, Brentford 1-0 W, Newcastle United 2-0 L, Fulham 3-1 W, Real Betis 1-0 W, Southampton 0-0 D
Goals: 28 – Marcus Rashford, 10 – Bruno Fernandes, 7 – Antony, Anthony Martial, 6 – Fred, 5 – Casemiro, Own Goal, Jadon Sancho, 4 – Alejandro Garnacho, 3 – Scott McTominay, Cristiano Ronaldo, 2 – Christian Eriksen, Wout Weghorst, 1 – Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer, Luke Shaw
Assists: 10 – Bruno Fernandes, 9 – Christian Eriksen, 8 – Marcus Rashford, 6 – Casemiro, Luke Shaw, 5 – Fred, 4 – Alejandro Garnacho, 3 – Wout Weghorst, 2 – Diogo Dalot, Anthony Elanga, Anthony Martial, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, 1 – Antony, Scott McTominay, Facundo Pellistri, Marcel Sabitzer, Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Sevilla – Form, Goals Scored & Assists – DWLLWW
RC Celta de Vigo 2-2 D, Cádiz CF 2-0 W, Getafe CF 2-0 L, Fenerbahçe SK 1-0 L, UD Almeria 2-1 W, Fenerbahçe SK 2-0 W
Goals: 10 – Youssef En-Nesyri, 5 – Erik Lamela, 4 – Nemanja Gudelj, Rafa Mir, 3 – Marcos Acuña, Lucas Ocampos, Óliver Torres, 2 – José Ángel Carmona, Tanguy Nianzou, 1 – Bryan Gil, Isco, Joan Jordán, Gonzalo Montiel, Ivan Rakitic, Karim Rekik, Kike Salas, Suso
Assists: 4 – Ivan Rakitic, 3 – Pape Gueye, Isco, Alex Telles, 2 – Marcos Acuña, Bryan Gil, Papu Gómez, Suso, Óliver Torres, 1 – José Ángel Carmona, Kasper Dolberg, Joan Jordán, Gonzalo Montiel, Jesús Navas, Lucas Ocampos, Karim Rekik, Kike Salas
Previous Meetings & Connections
United and Sevilla have met three times competitively in the history of both clubs. They both met in the UEFA Champions League at the round of 16 stage in the 2017/18 season with them drawing 0-0 in the first leg which was played at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. However, United fell to a 2-1 defeat with Wissam Ben Yedder scoring a brace in the 74th and 78th minutes of the match and Romelu Lukaku scoring what became a consolation goal in the 84th minute.
United and Sevilla then met in the UEFA Europa League at the semi final stage in the 2019/20 season which was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The two sides met at the RheinEnergie Stadion in Cologne in August 2020. United fell to a 2-1 defeat again. Bruno Fernandes scored a ninth minute penalty to put United ahead but in the 26th minute, Ronnie Fernández equalised for Sevilla. Luuk de Jong then scored the winner in the 78th minute to send United home.
Adnan Januzaj and Alex Telles are currently Sevilla players although Januazaj is on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir and Telles is on loan from United. Anthony Martial was loaned to the club last season and Javier Hernandez left West Ham United for Sevilla. Januzaj has played six times for Sevilla. Telles has made 29 appearances, getting three assists. Martial made 12 appearances, scoring one goal and one assist and Chicharito made 13 appearances scoring three goals.
Team News
Donny van de Beek (knee), Tom Heaton (ankle), Alejandro Garnacho (ankle), Luke Shaw (thigh), Marcus Rashford (groin) and Scott McTominay have all been ruled out of the Sevilla match because of injury. Ten Hag has confirmed that Anthony Martial was probably ready to start against Everton at the weekend, so he will be back in action from the start against the Spanish side. Jadon Sancho could start in Rashford’s place, which would give United the balance needed on the attack.
Casemiro is back for United having served a four-match domestic suspension following his red card against Southampton prior to the international break. He was always eligible to play in European competition and will be back in Premier League action this coming weekend against Nottingham Forest. Christian Eriksen made his return from injury so could be seeking to start. Should Bruno Fernandes or Casemiro get booked they will miss the second leg of this fixture.
Manchester United left-back Alex Telles is eligible to face United on Thursday evening at Old Trafford. Pape Gueye and Tecatito Corona have not been registered for the Europa League this season. Marcos Acuna, along with Gueye were both sent off in Friday’s 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo but Acuna will not miss a European fixture because of it. There are no injury worries but Joan Jordan, Rafa Mir and Gonzalo Montiel will miss the second leg if booked on Thursday evening.
Predicted Manchester United Starting XI – 4-2-3-1
De Gea;
Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martínez, Malacia;
Casemiro, Eriksen;
Antony, Fernandes, Sancho;
Martial
Predicted Sevilla Starting XI – 4-2-3-1
Bounou;
Montiel, Badé, Marcão, Acuña;
Fernando, Gudelj;
Ocampos, Rakitić, Gil;
En-Nesyri
Match Prediction
United will need to do something that they have not done before on Thursday evening at the Theatre of Dreams – beat Sevilla. In three meetings, United have drawn once and lost twice, scoring two goals and conceding four – keeping one clean sheet. That is not good for United, who have met three Spanish teams in the UEFA Europa League this season – Sevilla being the fourth they will have met this season meeting three Spanish teams in the knockout stages of the competition.
Since the international break, United managed to overturn that 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United by beating Brentford 1-0 and Everton 2-0 – both at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Ten Hag will be seeking to make the semi final stages of the Europa League this season. United have already lifted the Carabao Cup and will seek to add either the Europa League or the Emirates FA Cup – or both to their spoils this season. They are still in the top four of the Premier League too.
United have a strong defence and that may be needed against Sevilla. They have been terrible in LaLiga this season, currently sitting in 13th place just five points clear of the relegation zone. They were unbeaten until the quarter final stage of the Copa del Rey, losing to Osasuna and finished third in the UEFA Champions League, falling into the Europa League at the play off stage. They beat PSV Eindhoven 3-2 on aggregate and Fenerbahçe 2-1 on aggregate to meet United.
Manchester United 2-1 Sevilla
Written by John Walker
