Having disappointingly dropped down from the Champions League, Manchester United will now aim for a shot at glory in the Europa League, and their first test is a last-32 first-leg clash with Spanish giants Real Sociedad.
This tie will be played in Turin due to coronavirus travel restrictions, and Sociedad head into this game having finished second in Group F behind Napoli.
Match preview
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While any outside chances of a La Liga title bid have now dissipated for Sociedad, the Spanish side have finally started to pick up some crucial wins again before a clash of mammoth proportions with Man United.
Victories over Cadiz and Getafe earlier this month marked the first time since November that Imanol Alguacil's side had strung back-to-back wins together, and before their 4-1 triumph over the former on February 7, Sociedad had only won two of their previous 17 across all competitions.
Alexander Isak's ninth goal of the La Liga season was enough to propel Alguacil's men to victory over Getafe at the weekend, but the return of a certain Mikel Oyarzabal grabbed all the headlines, as the winger made a rapid comeback from injury in a massive boost to his side's chances for their clash with Man United.
However, Sociedad's group-stage travails in the Europa League were underwhelming to say the least, as the Spanish side won just two of their six games and drew their last three, but the nine points that they accumulated ended up being enough to seal second spot in Group F - two points behind table-toppers Napoli and one clear of AZ Alkmaar.
Out of the 24 teams who advanced to the knockout stages from the Europa League groups, Sociedad scored the fewest amount of goals - a mere five to their name - but with only four shipped at the other end of the pitch, United's attackers cannot afford to leave their shooting boots at home this week.
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A good chunk of Man United fans may very well hold Mino Raiola accountable for their Champions League exit, as the super agent claimed that Paul Pogba's future at Old Trafford was over just hours before their crunch match with RB Leipzig, which ultimately extinguished their Champions League hopes for another season.
A 3-2 defeat at the home of the German powerhouses followed previous losses to Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain, with United's record of three wins and three defeats not enough to see them pip either PSG or Leipzig - who both finished three points clear of the Red Devils - to one of the top two spots in Group H.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side immediately embarked on an impressive unbeaten run in the Premier League following their Champions League exit, but they have struggled to assert themselves as a dominant force in recent weeks and have won just two of their last six in all competitions, as well as one in five in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes's 14th Premier League goal of the season at West Bromwich Albion was as spectacular as we have become accustomed to seeing from him, but the individual brilliance of the Portuguese playmaker can only take Man United so far and the Baggies held on for a point after Mbaye Diagne's early opener.
Should the Red Devils start firing on all cylinders again, they will undoubtedly be tipped for glory in Europe's secondary competition, and Real Sociedad lost 1-0 at Old Trafford before holding United to a 0-0 draw at home in the 2013-14 Champions League group stages.
Real Sociedad Europa League form: WLWDDD
Real Sociedad form (all competitions): WDLDWW
Manchester United form (all competitions): LDWDWD
Team News
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As mentioned, Oyarzabal returned from injury to play 79 minutes in Sunday's win at Getafe, and the highly-rated 23-year-old should line up on the left-hand side once again here.
The Red Devils will likely be coming up against a familiar face on the opposite flank in the form of Adnan Januzaj, but he is yet to open his Europa League account for the campaign and could find his spot under threat from Portu.
Luca Sangalli and Miguel Angel Moya remain injured for the 'home' side, who could also opt to bring Robin Le Normand back into the heart of defence.
Man United's Pogba continues to recuperate following a hamstring injury, and the Frenchman has now been ruled out for the rest of the month, while Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek will not make the cut either.
Changes would not go amiss for the visitors amid their below-par form of late, with Mason Greenwood - who recently extended his stay with the club until 2025 - potentially featuring on the flanks.
Dean Henderson was only given a chance in one of United's Champions League matches - their 2-1 defeat at Basaksehir - but he has a chance of featuring this week, while Alex Telles could be brought in given his wealth of experience on the continental stage.
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Gorosabel, Le Normand, Elustondo, Monreal; Zubeldia, Merino, Silva; Januzaj, Isak, Oyarzabal
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Bailly, Telles; Fred, McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
We say: Real Sociedad 2-2 Manchester United
Not only have Sociedad finally returned to winning ways, but the quicker-than-expected return of Oyarzabal will have the hosts brimming with confidence ahead of this tie. The away goals rule is still in play despite the use of a neutral venue, so United may opt to employ a gung-ho approach to give themselves the best chance possible of advancing, but we expect Sociedad to take advantage of the Red Devils' frailties and salvage a draw in the first leg.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Manchester United win with a probability of 47.82%. A win for Real Sociedad had a probability of 26.98% and a draw had a probability of 25.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Manchester United win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.8%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.36%) and 0-2 (8.44%). The likeliest Real Sociedad win was 1-0 (7.66%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.97%). The actual scoreline of 0-4 was predicted with a 1.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Manchester United would win this match.
