Manchester United will entertain Barcelona at Old Trafford on Wednesday night hoping to bounce back from their 2-1 loss away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week. The Red Devils will have a difficult task in their hands as they will be coming up against one of the most feared teams in Europe, but they should remain confident about their chances of clinching a result against Barca in front of their loyal home supporters.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is expected to opt for a 4-3-3 formation and might start with both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial up top.
4-3-3 Manchester United Predicted Lineup To Face Barcelona
Defence
David De Gea will start in goal despite shipping in two goals against Wolves earlier this month. The Spanish goalie will be protected by the centre-half duo of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof as they attempt to keep Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi quiet on the night.
Ashley Young was given his marching orders against Wolves in the FA Cup, so he should be available to play in European matches. The English talent will resume his duties at right-back while Luke Shaw looks to put on another solid shift down the left flank.
The Man United defenders have been all over the place in recent weeks, so Solskjær needs to find a way to get the best out of his current options to ensure that the home team are in a position to compete for qualification at the end of the first leg.
Midfield
Solskjær might opt for the midfield three of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as they are currently his most reliable options at the centre of the park. Pogba needs to put on a commanding display on Wednesday night as his performances have been dismal for Man United in recent matches.
Both Fred and Scott McTominay, who scored his debut goal for the Red Devils versus Wolves last week, will be part of Solskjær’s bench and might come on during the clash if required.
Attack
The Reds of Manchester could start with the fluid front three of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard up top. Only Lingard managed to get a start at Wolves in the Premier League earlier this month so the return of Rashford and Martial will give Man United a huge boost heading into this clash.
One of them needs to find a way to breakdown the Barca defence and make a significant contribution going forward on Wednesday night. The home side’s chances of qualification could very well hinge on their performances in midweek.
Romelu Lukaku will have to settle for a spot on the Man United bench.
