The State of Play
Manchester United enter matchday six bottom of Champions League Group A after their 3-3 draw with Galatasaray a fortnight ago. They must win at home to Bayern and hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw in order to finish second, though a victory will at least guarantee them a third-place finish and Europa League football.
United come into the game on the back of a humbling 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday – a result that has reopened the discussion regarding coach Erik ten Hag’s future.
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Ten Hag would not have enjoyed seeing Bayern’s result at the weekend either with the German champions suffering an embarrassing 5-1 thrashing at Eintracht Frankfurt. That defeat means Bayern, who have already qualified as pool winners, will bring a strong side to Old Trafford and seek an immediate response.
Bayern are four points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen although they do have a game in hand.
Team News
Expect Ten Hag to ring the changes following the weekend display. Rasmus Hojlund will surely start at the expense of Anthony Martial in attack while Kobbie Mainoo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jonny Evans could return after starting the Bournemouth game on the bench.
Marcus Rashford and Martial missed training today through illness but Victor Lindelof was present.
Brazil midfielder Casemiro trained on Sunday but this game is likely to come too soon for the former Real Madrid man. Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia are all out while Jadon Sancho remains unavailable for selection.
Bayern have named a strong squad with all the big hitters, at least those that are fit, present. Harry Kane is likely to start on his first visit back to England following his summer switch from Tottenham while former Manchester City man Leroy Sane should start on the wing.
Saturday’s defeat was also damaging for Bayern in another sense with first-choice left-back Alphonso Davies suffering an ankle injury that will keep him out until the new year and Serge Gnabry sustaining a thigh problem shortly after coming on. Back-up goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is also missing due to an ankle problem.
Here’s our squad for the final #UCL group game in Manchester 👀✨#MIASANMIA #MUNFCB PIC.TWITTER.COM/47WOOJWCG7
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) DECEMBER 11, 2023
Expected Line-ups
Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Evans, Shaw; Mainoo, McTominay, Fernandes; Antony, Garnacho; Hojlund
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Coman, Muller, Sane; Kane
What they said
Ten Hag on his side’s chances
“I never think in negative scenarios. We think positively, we know what we have to do. We have to win to stay in Europe so it’s all about that.
“I will prepare the team with that feeling and that belief that we are able to do it. We have shown in the last few weeks that when we are at our best we can do it.”
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel on the need for his side to bounce back from the defeat at Eintracht
“We underestimated the danger of the situation and completely gave the game away very early on. But I have confidence in my team.
“There’s no point in bad-mouthing everything now. It continues on Tuesday [at] Old Trafford. We need a reaction there.”
When and how to watch
The game takes place at Old Trafford with an 8pm (local time) kick off. It can be viewed in the UK on TNT Sports.
Prediction
United were already needing a minor miracle to qualify and their task has been made all the harder following the events in Frankfurt. A club with the profile of Bayern Munich should not suffer defeats like they did on Saturday, and their meek surrender has not gone down well with fans or a critical media. Thomas Tuchel knows many more performances like that and his job will start to come under scrutiny.
That, and United’s inconsistent form, means everything points towards an away win.
