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As Old Trafford lights up under the night sky on Tuesday, Manchester United are getting ready to welcome Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. The stage is set for a classic UEFA Champions League second leg encounter between the two behemoths. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1 and the away goal rule scrapped from this season, it’s a winner take all bout.
United will consider themselves lucky to be going into this fixture with an even scoreline. They weathered a dominating performance from Atletico in the first leg and scored late through Anthony Elanga.
Ralf Rangnick will be looking to make some key changes to the formation and the team sheet if the Red Devils are to progress to the quarter-finals.
The team has to set up around the potency of the Atletico counter and the solid nature of their defense. Both Geoffrey Kondogbia and Marcos Llorente (if they both play) will look to exploit the gaps in the United midfield. They will try to provide line-breaking passes to Joao Felix and Angel Correa.
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The Red Devils’ shaky defense and Harry Maguire’s slow place can find it difficult to negate the threats from the Spanish side. There are a few changes that Rangnick can make to give Manchester United a better chance of winning.
In this article, we will discuss three talking points heading into the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match.
#3. Anthony Elanga has to start for Manchester United
Despite only coming on in the 75th minute Anthony Elanga proved to be a vital outlet for United’s forward passes in the first leg. His sharp runs, ability to penetrate defenses, and an eye for goal helped the Red Devils bring the scores level.
Elanga is a ball of fire right now, a big source of energy and an in-form talisman in the United forward line. With Marcus Rashford’s dismal form and the Swede’s recent performances, it is a no-brainer to start the latter against Atletico.
The 19-year-old only had a solitary shot in the 15 or so minutes he played in the first leg. He had seven passes and scored the tie-leveling goal. On paper, he did not make much of a difference when he came on. However, there are aspects of his game that cannot be statistically proven but make an impact in the game.
His driving runs at defenders and going in behind them can create space for his teammates to exploit. This will also provide a passage to move the ball into the opposition box.
Penetrating the three-man Atletico backline will prove to be vital for United's counter-attack and Elanga can help them with that.
#2. Fred and McTominay (if fit) need to start in a double-pivot in midfield
It is safe to assume that the aging Nemanja Matic, having played 80 minutes at the weekend against Tottenham Hotspur, will not start against Atletico. So it is best to inculcate a midfield that will give protection against the onslaught of Atletico Madrid’s attack.
The midfield three in the first leg consisted of Fred, Paul Pogba, and Bruno Fernandes. Apart from the Portuguese, the other two were involved in their win over Spurs at the weekend.
However, based on Pogba’s performance on Saturday and Atletico's physicality, it is best to play the double-pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay. The latter will hopefully be available for this fixture.
While McTominay has the physical prowess, Fred will have the energy to counter and dismantle the threats from Kondogbia, Hector Herrera, and Llorente. It will also be a good ploy to negate the line-breaking passes and force Atletico to play from the wings.
Whether the tactical change will benefit United or it will be another case of a midfield too prone to mistakes will be left to see.
#1. Diogo Dalot needs to start at right back for Manchester United
Ralf Rangnick experimented with Victor Lindelof at right back in the first leg of the UCL tie. However, the ploy did not come to great effect as Atletico dominated Manchester United’s right side in the first half.
Diogo Dalot will be the perfect replacement, keeping in mind the lack of attack United put through the right in the first leg. The midfield pivots of McTominay and Fred will give greater protection to the right side, thereby allowing Dalot to move forward in attack.
United will look to have a solid performance offensively as well since the game is on their home turf. Few can argue that Dalot is a much greater attacking threat than Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
In the Premier League fixture against Spurs, Dalot had an 84 percent passing accuracy. He also completed five out of nine attempted long balls. His crossing range combined with his ability to drive up the pitch could help Manchester United secure the win.
Do you think Manchester United will win against Atletico Madrid? Let us know in the comments section below.
