Group Stage Fan Preview: Manchester United

Last time Manchester United appeared in the Champions League, the year was 2015 and Louis van Gaal was at the helm. The Red Devils finished a disappointing 3rd behind VfL Wolfsburg and PSV Eindhoven, a stark contrast to United’s usual preeminence in European football. However, failure to eclipse the group stage is an unlikely result for the upcoming Champions League campaign, and Mourinho’s men will be hoping to reassert United’s herculean aura in Europe.

The Reds have had a promising summer, securing the signings of Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matić, and Victor Lindelöf. They picked up 6 wins in 7 during their summer tour overseas, defeating both Manchester City and Real Madrid in the process. The prodigal Marcus Rashford looked superb whenever he featured, and United’s new Belgian addition Romelu Lukaku adapted to the side well. Elsewhere, Frenchmen Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial displayed flashes of their true potential, with Pogba’s imposing force dominating the midfield, and Martial’s slaloming dribbling bamboozling defenders. Nonetheless, the Red Devils couldn’t beat Real Madrid a second-time around, falling to the Los Blancos 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup. The Red Devils were simply no match for the back-to-back CL winners, but they did well to remain in the game and could’ve easily taken the match to extra time if they converted their chances. All in all, preseason gave United fans plenty to look forward to.

2 matches into the Premier League, the Red Devils sit atop the table with 6 points. Two consecutive 4-0 wins have impressed, but they have only been against the likes of West Ham and Swansea. Some takeaways include the emerging partnership of Matić and Pogba, the goalscoring threat of new boy Romelu Lukaku, and the impressive cameos by Anthony Martial. Mkhitaryan has recorded 4 assists, and Eric Bailly and Phil Jones have proven to be a solid center back duo. Mourinho’s side look to have a deadlier attacking threat compared to last season, and the team is firing on all cylinders.

How They Got Here: Although United only finished in 6th in the Premier League, the Red Devils conquered the Europa League last season to secure a place in the 2017-18 Champions League. A 2-0 victory in Stockholm over AFC Ajax in the final capped off an imposing Europa League campaign, and cemented a place in the CL for United.