The round of 16 is set in the Champions League, and an intriguing matchup kicks off in Spain on February 21st. Manchester United visits Sevilla in the first leg of their two-legged tie and while Manchester United have to be considered the favorites, this will be no walk in the park, especially away from home.
What To Know About Manchester United
Manchester United finished first in Group A with five wins and a loss, scoring 12 goals while allowing only three. Romelu Lukaku led the way with four goals in the group stage, while Marcus Rashford netted three goals. Their defense is hot and cold, but David De Gea continues to be one of the very best keepers in the world. The key is the midfield, and Nemanja Matic has been fantastic, while Ander Herrera can do a job. But Paul Pogba pulls all the strings for Manchester United and has formed a great partnership with Jesse Lingard, who has arguably been their best player this season. United needs to take the handbrake off Pogba and let him do his thing going forward, which might mean playing two midfielders (Matic and either Herrera or Marouane Fellaini) behind him so he doesn’t have to worry that much about defense.
What To Know About Sevilla
Sevilla finished second in Group E behind Liverpool, scoring 12 goals, but they also allowed 12 goals at the other end. Six of those goals scored came from Wissam Ben Yedder, while six others chipped in with a goal each. However, they have had some off-pitch issues as Eduardo Berizzo was fired as manager and replaced with Vincenzo Montella, which seems a bit harsh as Sevilla are in fourth in La Liga and have made it this far in the Champions League. A recent poor run of form was Berizzo’s downfall, but also, he has just been diagnosed with cancer, so Sevilla are taking a bit of a beating in the media. Therefore, it seems imperative that they make some noise in the Champions League because winning solves a lot. Also, Sevilla has to improve in their own end because 12 goals allowed in six games in a group with Liverpool, Spartak Moscow and NK Maribor won’t cut it if they want to progress further. Still, this is a dangerous team.
Outlook
Manchester United are favored away from home at +130, while Sevilla are rated at +200 and a draw comes in at +240. This is the first time that these two have ever met, and they both have time to make a move or two in the transfer window, so these teams could look differently by the time they play. Sevilla are going to go at United, but they have shown that they can be taken at the back and if that is the case, United could be looking at an away goal, possibly two, going back home to Manchester for the second leg. United can attack on the counter with speed and power if they play up to their vast potential.
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