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Manchester United will host Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, scheduled to be played at Old Trafford tonight (March 9).
The Red Devils have won four out of their last five games across all competitions and will be looking to redeem themselves after a disappointing 7-0 loss to rivals Liverpool last weekend.
Real Betis, on the other hand, have won three out of their last five games across all competitions and will be looking to get a decent result in this encounter as well.
On that note, let's look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
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#3 Bruno Fernandes vs William Carvalho
Arguably one of the most creative midfielders in Europe, Fernandes is sensible and his attacking intuition is outstanding. The Portuguese midfielder has registered two assists in eight UEFA Europa League appearances this season.
But what makes him key in this clash is his creativity and ability to distribute the ball into the final third of the pitch. Monitoring his movements in midfield is a tough task as his ability to utilize the little pockets of space created by the opposition is outstanding. This is an indication that William Carvalho will definitely have his work cut out.
However, Carvalho's defensive intuition has been outstanding and his ball-winning proficiency has been immense as well. Similarly, his familiarity with his fellow compatriot gives him a good chance of silencing Fernandes in this clash.
#2 Borja Iglesias vs Raphael Varane
Despite not registering a goal in the competition so far, Borja Iglesias remains a force to be reckoned with in this encounter. The Spaniard is dangerous in front of goal and his vision in the final third is brilliant. He's scored 10 goals across all competitions for Manuel Pellegrini this season.
What makes him key in this clash is his experience and ability to position himself properly in the opposition’s penalty box. Monitoring his movements in the final third is tough and Raphael Varane will have his work cut out.
However, Varane has been decent at centre-back for Manchester United this season. His presence has arguably improved the outlook of Erik ten Hag's defense. It remains to be seen if he will be able to keep Iglesias under wraps.
#1 Marcus Rashford vs Luiz Felipe
When you talk about in-form and vibrant attackers across Europe right now, one of the names that comes to mind is Marcus Rashford.
The Englishman's attacking contributions have been significant for Manchester United this season. He's scored four goals and registered one assist in six UEFA Europa League appearances so far.
Rashford is most likely to lead the line in attack in this encounter and monitoring his movements in the final third is tough. Hence, Luiz Felipe will have his work cut out.
Felipe, on the other hand, has been defensively robust this season, and silencing Rashford will drastically reduce Manchester United's attacking threat.
