Manchester United missed a chance to clinch the top spot in Group A in the Champions League, and now it goes down to the final day on Tuesday, December 5th. They’ll host CSKA Moscow, who are tied with FC Basel on points with nine; Basel will visit last-place Benfica at the same time this game is going on.
What To Know About CSKA Moscow
Georgi Schennikov scored in the 13th minute and then Jardel scored an own goal for Benfica to give CSKA Moscow a big 2-0 win. It was the first clean sheet in the Champions League since 2006 for goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, and it was a solid all-around performance for CSKA Moscow, who were counting on being in second place on their own, but then Basel pulled off a big upset against Manchester United (more on that below). CSKA Moscow have actually been better on the road in the Champions League this season, winning both of them by a score of 4-2, so they’re going to be a dangerous threat to Manchester United. Six different players have scored for CSKA Moscow, so they don’t have a star man, which means that anyone can find the back of the net at anytime; however, CSKA Moscow has allowed eight goals in the Champions League.
What To Know About Manchester United
Manchester United fell 1-0 at Basel and while they still have a three-point lead atop Group A, this is a game that they really should have won so they wouldn’t have to deal with any pressure going into this game. Manchester United had a ton of possession, but they failed to take advantage of their chances. They have looked better with Paul Pogba back in the lineup, but even he couldn’t inspire Manchester United in the Champions League. Romelu Lukaku leads the way with three goals, while Marcus Rashford has two, and both should look to start this game. They have been great at home so far in the Champions League, winning both of those games with five goals scored and none allowed.
Outlook
Manchester United are the favorites at home at -334, while CSKA Moscow comes in at +800 and a draw is rated at +450. Manchester United has won three and drawn two of their five meetings with CSKA Moscow, including a 4-1 win in Russia on September 27th. Lukaku scored twice, while Anthony Martial also found the back of the net along with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Konstantin Kuchaev pulled one back for CSKA Moscow in the 90th minute. Manchester United have taken their foot off the gas in a few games this season and it came back to bite them at Basel, so they should be ready to go for 90 minutes, especially at home. CSKA needs to win, but they can’t afford to be too aggressive because if they leave too much space for the home team, they’ll be in trouble. Manchester United has a full team back now and there is no reason why they shouldn’t win this game easily.
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