Manchester United welcome PSV Eindhoven to Old Trafford on Thursday morning as Matchday 5 of the Champions League heats up. Join The Roar from 6:45am (AEDT) for live scores.
The fate of Champions League Group B is yet to be decided as its current top two jostle for position in the penultimate match day of the group stage. Old Trafford is the scene for this important clash, as United manager Louis Van Gaal sets his sights on top spot heading into the knockout phases of Europe’s most prized club competition.
The visitors are Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven. The defending Eredivisie champions have a fine European pedigree as a past winner of this tournament, and currently find themselves in third spot domestically. PSV will be out for blood as they seek to wrestle top spot from their Mancunian opposition in their own backyard.
These two sides are joined in Group B by German side Wolfsburg and Russian Premier League outfit CSKA Moscow. The former sits exactly level with PSV on six points, whilst United find themselves just a point ahead of the duo.
A loss here for United and a win for the Germans in Moscow on Thursday morning would see United languishing two points off the pace, and headed for a berth in the Europa League, no doubt sending Louis Van Gaal into a fit of rage as a seat at Europe’s top table goes begging.
United has met PSV on five previous occasions in European competition; the ledger remains even. Each has recorded two victories whilst 1984 saw a 0-0 stalemate in the UEFA Super Cup. Most recently, PSV famously ran out 2-1 winners in Eindhoven as Luke Shaw had his leg broken by Hector Moreno.
United will be without five key first-teamers as Phil Jones and Ander Herrera were added to an injury ward already comprising of Luke Shaw, Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia, after picking up knocks against Watford at the weekend. In brighter news for the Red Devils, forwards Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial are in line to return to the fold after missing the aforementioned Premier League clash through injury.
PSV are still missing left back Jetro Willems and winger Florian Jozefzoon, whilst Maxime Lestienne remains on the sidelines following the death of his father a few days ago.
United are heavy favourites for this encounter. A short time prior to the match bookies had the Englishmen as $1.50 to clinch three points, whilst there opponents were substantially further afield at $7.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 PSV
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