Champions League Preview: Manchester United vs RB Leipzig

Manchester United vs RB Leipzig | Champions League | Old Trafford | KO: 20:00 GMT | BT Sport

Manchester United are unbeaten following the recent international break, with wins against Newcastle and Paris Saint Germain preceding last weekend’s bore draw with Chelsea. United now face RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, hoping to make it two wins from two in this season’s competition.

How do Manchester United Look?

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Last weeks’ group stage match saw the return of Axel Tuanzebe, as well as the debut of Brazilian fullback Alex Telles, with United opting for a back five in order to beat PSG. The pair can be expected to start again, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prefers this system in European competition.

Edinson Cavani came close to scoring with his first touch in a red shirt, after coming off the bench against Chelsea at the weekend and will be hopeful of starting against Leipzig in mid-week. If United do line-up in a back five, then a front two of Cavani and Martial may give Solskjaer the best chance of winning this one. the Uruguayan’s ability to hold the ball up will be a key outlet for The Reds, and a vital tool in breaking the German’s press.

Speaking ahead of the match, the boss confirmed that Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly remain the only players out of contention, as was the case for the last two matches.

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There have been rumours of discontent in the camp of Donny Van de Beek, with the midfielder’s playing time being sparse following his arrival from Ajax in the summer. The likes of Paul Pogba, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay have all started matches ahead of the new signing, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees no need for concern at this stage.

“We have so many games this season, they are all going to play a big, massive part in different periods of the season. I don’t think anyone is able to play all of them” said the boss.

Opposition: RB Leipzig

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The top side in Germany so far this season, RB Leipzig are managed by 33-year-old Julian Nagelsmann, who is highly thought of throughout the football world, and is tipped to become on of the best managers on the planet.

He has his side playing aggressive, pressing football that will cause trouble for any backline in the world, let alone one with the lack of confidence that United’s currently have. As mentioned previously, Solskjaer will likely look to counter the press with a back five, so that the defence will always have more than one option available to get the ball out from the back.

A disciplined midfield of Fred, McTominay and Bruno Fernandes would also help United break the press and transition from defence into attack.

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United were heavily linked with Leipzig centre half Dayot Upamecano in the summer, but a move for the Frenchman never materialised. There is still a strong reported interest from Manchester for his services, so it will be interesting to see how he copes with the pressure of playing at Old Trafford, in what could be somewhat of an audition for a role at the club.