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Unpredictable United fighting for Euro survival
2020-12-08 

Solskjaer hopes weekend win bodes well for crunch Leipzig clash

Manchester United's Paul Pogba celebrates scoring their first goal with Alex Telles in a 3-1 victory over West Ham United at London Stadium, London, Britain, December 5, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON-Manchester United travels to RB Leipzig for Tuesday's Champions League match confident it can reach the knockout stages but knowing it has made life unnecessarily hard for itself.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team looked certain to ease out of the group phase after an impressive win at Paris Saint-Germain followed by a 5-0 hammering of RB Leipzig at home.

But a shock defeat away to Istanbul Basaksehir threw Group H wide open and last week's home reverse against PSG leaves the French champion, United and Leipzig locked together on nine points.

United needs just a draw at the home of the German team, which is third in the Bundesliga. That result would take it through on the basis of a superior head-to-head record.

The three-time European champion can take heart from its fine away form this term, with the exception of its ill-fated trip to Turkey.

Solsjkaer's side has won all five of its English Premier League away games, taking its total of consecutive EPL wins on the road to a club-record nine.

But United, desperate to reestablish itself among the European elite, has also made a habit of getting into difficulty, and has trailed in every top-flight away trip this season.

Saturday's match at West Ham was no different. Solskjaer's men were 1-0 down at halftime and could have been further behind before a stirring second-half comeback.

Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford all scored in a 3-1 win at the Hammers' London Stadium that temporarily took the Red Devils into the top four.

'Don't panic'

"The boys now have the belief and the confidence that we can turn things around," said Solskjaer. "You don't panic.

"Yeah, we were under pressure before halftime, and halftime came at a good time for us. We had to clear our heads and go again. We've done it too often now to be a coincidence, those comebacks.

"It's in these boys and in this badge. Of course you are very happy with the away form and how we're performing."

United has enviable firepower in its ranks and can be devastating on the break but the feeling remains that it is rarely in total control of its destiny.

The Norwegian boss has a decision to make in midfield, with Fred absent after a red card in the defeat to PSG.

Bruno Fernandes is the key man creatively, as he showed again at West Ham, creating eight chances after coming on at halftime.

Does Solskjaer stick with Pogba, who has been a peripheral player this season? Does he throw in Nemanja Matic alongside Scott McTominay to give greater defensive ballast? Or can he find room for all three?

There are also issues up front, with both Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani picking up minor injuries at West Ham.

Leipzig, last season's Champions League semifinalist, will likely need to win to progress from Group H, because PSG is expected to beat Basaksehir. That could play into United's hands, giving it space to exploit.

But it cannot afford to produce a display as limp and disjointed as it did in the first half against West Ham.

McTominay said it was important for he and his teammates to put last month's hammering of Leipzig out of their minds. "The result at home is completely out of the equation now," the Scot told MUTV.

"We forget about that. It's a game where we have to go and win. It's a game where you can't just go there and play for a point. You have to go and approach it like you want to win that football match and that's definitely what we're going to do."

Palace flop

After finally breaking his goal drought for Leipzig, the pressure is on giant Norway striker Alexander Sorloth to hit the net again on Tuesday.

Having failed to score in his first 10 games for Leipzig, the Crystal Palace outcast struck a last-gasp winner in the crucial 4-3 victory at Basaksehir last Wednesday to his huge relief.

Sorloth came on for the last 25 minutes and his low drive sealed the away win which kept Leipzig's hopes of reaching the last 16 in its own hands.

"It's always important to score your first goal for a new club-I am incredibly happy and relieved," Sorloth beamed in Istanbul. "In an exciting and balanced group, it was a very, very important victory.

"Now we have a final against Manchester United that we definitely want to win."

Only victory on Tuesday will assure either club of a last-16 spot.

To add extra spice, Leipzig has a score to settle from October's 5-0 thrashing at Old Trafford when England forward Rashford netted a hat-trick for the host.

Backed by energy drinks giant Red Bull, Leipzig wants to be a permanent fixture in the Champions League and build on last season's run to the semifinals.

Bowing out in the group stage would hurt the ambitious club from eastern Germany.

Leipzig paid Palace 20 million euros ($24 million) for Sorloth in September to replace Timo Werner, who left for Chelsea. The 6-foot-4(1.93-meter) Sorloth never settled in south London after arriving at the Eagles in January 2018 from Danish club Midtjylland.

AFP

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