Manchester United travel to Belgium to face Anderlecht on Thursday in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-finals tie. The two teams have last met in the Champions League in 2000, when Manchester United pulled through after a 5-1 victory at Old Trafford and a 2-1 defeat in the second leg on Belgian soil.
Anderlecht are on a five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, including the double 1-0 victory over APOEL in the previous Europa League round. They are leading the Belgian top flight playoff table but last week they were held to a goalless draw at home by Gent. Andy Najar is the only injury doubt for the home side after having missed the last few matches with a hamstring injury.
Manchester United are also on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions, but they had back-to-back home draws in the Premier League before last weekend's 3-0 victory at Sunderland. In the previous round the Red Devils squeezed past FK Rostov, securing a 1-0 victory at home after a 1-1 draw in Russia. Jose Mourinho has quite a few injury worries as Juan Mata, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young will all miss out.
Probable line-ups:
Anderlecht: Martinez - Adjei, Kara, Spajic, Obradovic - Tielemans, Dendoncker, Stanciu - Chipciu, Teodorczyk, Hanni
Man United: Romero - Valencia, Rojo, Bailly, Shaw - Herrera, Fellaini - Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Rashford - Ibrahimovic
My prediction: 1-1 draw.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Anderlecht win - 4.33
Draw - 3.50
Man United win - 1.95
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