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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United are set to face LaLiga Santander side Sevilla in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League on Sunday night.
Both clubs head into their European campaigns after ending their league seasons on a high, with the English club finishing third on the table and the Spanish club finishing fourth. However, facing Sevilla — a club that has won 24 of their last 25 Europa League knockout ties (including finals) — is a different prospect entirely.
They are undoubtedly the side with the most pedigree in the competition over the last decade or so, having famously won three UELs on the spin under Unai Emery in the previous decade.
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That being said, Manchester United are not a side to be trifled with either, as the Red Devils are arguably one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment. They have lost just one game in their last 21, and are yet to lose a Premier League game with Bruno Fernandes among their ranks.
With the stage all set in Germany for what is one of the most high-profile matches left to be contested in Europe this year, here, we take a look at five key battles that could decide the outcome of the game.
#5 Mason Greenwood vs Sergio Reguilon
One of the most in-demand full-backs in the market at the moment, Sergio Reguilon has been one of the most attack-oriented left-backs in LaLiga this year. The Spaniard has all the attributes that are looked for in modern defenders. He's a reliable crosser, displays excellent work ethic, and has bundles of pace to burn.
The Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur target — currently on loan at Sevilla from Real Madrid — has been pivotal for Julen Lopetegui's philosophy at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Apart from his apparent abilities in attack for Sevilla, 23-year-old will be tasked with keeping a check on one of the most impressive youngsters in Manchester United's rich history, Mason Greenwood.
The 18-year-old has exploded onto the scene for the Red Devils, scoring 17 goals across all competitions. He became the first teenager to score as many for Solskjaer's men since Wayne Rooney, and shares the record with Brian Kidd and George Best. Greenwood offers a unique threat down United's right-hand side with his ability to go either onto his left or right foot, and has adapted to playing a wider role with ease. His finishing has been nothing short of phenomenal in the 2019/20 campaign.
The clash between the two in-form players will be crucial for both sides as Greenwood has shown that he doesn't need too much time or space to find the back of the net.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka vs Lucas Ocampos
Sevilla star Lucas Ocampos has been one of their go-to men in attack this year, and rightly so, as the forward has been crucial for Lopetegui's side. After leading the Spanish club's scoring charts in LaLiga Santander with 14 goals, Ocampos made the difference once again for Sevilla with a stunning late winner against Wolves in the quarter-finals.
The towering Argentine, capable of playing all across the front-three, played on the left-hand side of Los Palanganas' attack with Suso on the other flank. Should this remain to be the case, Ocampos will be up against one of the sternest tests he's faced this year in Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Manchester United's tough-tackling right-back is one of the most challenging full-backs to beat.
The 21-year-old has made the most number of tackles in the Premier League for two successive seasons now, and will be tasked with keeping Sevilla's maverick quiet. Ocampos averages a staggering 3.6 dribbles per game in the UEL, and Wan-Bissaka tallies just over four tackles and interceptions per game, setting up a perfectly-poised encounter between the two.
Sevilla's high line and press would mean that the 21-year-old defender will be up against both Ocampos and Reguilon on the right when out of possession. However, on the face of it, the Ocampos vs Wan-Bissaka duel is essentially a battle between one team's most prolific attacker vs the opponents' best 1v1 defender.
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#3 Bruno Fernandes vs Fernando Reges
Manchester United's new talismanic hero Bruno Fernandes is set to come up against one of the club's former cross-town rivals, Fernando. The Brazilian, formerly of Manchester City, has established himself as the go-to ball-winner in midfield for Lopetegui since he departed from England.
The 33-year-old midfield veteran has been a dependable presence at the base of the Seville-based club this year, both in LaLiga and in the UEL. Fernando has brought about a sense of composure and defensive stability in the middle, enabling the likes of Joan Jordan and Ever Banega to express themselves freely ahead of him.
However, on Sunday, he will face an entirely different proposition with Bruno Fernandes on the other side. The Portuguese midfielder has been in scintillating form for the Red Devils, scoring eight and assisting seven goals in just over 1200 minutes of Premier League football. Bruno is also the leading scorer in the Europa League with seven goals and a further four assists to his name.
Fernando will have to use all his experience to marshall his troops and ensure Bruno doesn't see too much of the ball. Although the former Sporting captain has looked a tad worn out in recent games, his touch could be crucial on the night for Manchester United — much like Fernando's defensive diligence, as he will be asked to keep an eye on the playmaker.
#2 Anthony Martial vs Jules Kounde
Sevilla starlet Jules Kounde has had a simply sensational season in the heart of Los Palanganas' defence. The Frenchman has profoundly impressed with his displays for Lopetegui's side, and has already attracted attention from some of Europe's elite clubs.
The 21-year-old was one of the stars of the show in the previous round as Kounde managed to completely nullify the threat posed by one of the Premier League's deadliest strikers, Raul Jimenez. Apart from the botched penalty, Mexican could barely find time to take a shot in the Sevilla box, which is a testament to how well Kounde did to shut him out.
On Sunday, the Real Madrid target will face a distinctly different threat in Anthony Martial, Manchester United's leading goalscorer. Kounde's compatriot has been in stunning form particularly since Bruno arrived at the club, and has looked more and more threatening with every passing game. Martial ran the show in the quarter-finals against FC Copenhagen and ultimately won the penalty which fired United through to the last four.
Another interesting aspect would be how Kounde manages to resist Martial's pressing from the front, an aspect that the forward has evidently worked on in recent times. The Sevilla defender is crucial to their build-up play, averaging 80 passes (!) a game in the Europa League, and will have to be wary of the striker lurking for the ball. Martial would look to keep up his scoring touch and outfox his countryman on the night.
#1 Paul Pogba vs Ever Banega
What a truly marvellous player Ever Banega is.
The Argentine single-handedly ran the midfield in Sevilla's Europa League encounter with Wolves in the last round like an orchestrator conducting proceedings with such ease. Banega, who is widely expected to move to the Middle East after the UEL campaign, has been outstanding for Lopetegui's Sevilla and has helped them assert a sense of dominance on games.
Interestingly, apart from the fact that Banega could move to the Middle East, much of the praise above applies to Manchester United's midfield maestro, Paul Pogba, if not more of it. The Frenchman has established himself as one of the most complete central midfielders on the planet, and his partnership with Bruno in the middle has allowed him to play with more freedom.
The two metronomic playmakers are set to face-off with each other in the semi-finals, and their duel could possibly be the most decisive one of the game. Given that Pogba has been deployed in a relatively deeper role in the current setup, he could lock horns with Banega and disrupt the Argentine's (and in theory, Sevilla's) momentum in the process.
On the other hand, Banega's pressing could cause Pogba — United's most trusted player in progressing the ball from deeper areas — a lot of problems as well, much like he did at home to Southampton. The two pass masters will be vital for their sides, and their battle could be of significant importance as their performances generally go on to define how well or how poorly their teams play.
It could arguably be the most interesting tactical battle on the night.
