Man Unt face uphill task

Europa League: Man U face uphill task

By Herbert BOAKYE-YIADOM
Manchester United will have to overturn their 2-0 defeat they suffered against Liverpool last weekend at the Anfield stadium in the round of 16 stage of the UEFA  Europa League when they welcome the Reds to the Old Trafford on Thursday night.
This is the first two-leg encounter between these two English clubs in a European fixture with Liverpool stamping their authority in the first game at home with goals by Daniel Sturridge and Firmino which ensured the win for Jurgen Klopp side.
Louis Van Gaal will have to adopt a new strategy in order to go past an in-form Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp who was able to mastermind the win at Anfield.
United have won their last four Premier League fixtures against Liverpool since a humiliating 3-0 home defeat in March 2014 as well as they  have won all of their UEFA home games against English sides; Liverpool have yet to win away against English rivals in a European game.
United are unbeaten in ten European home games (W8 D2), and have recovered from a 2-0 away defeat to win an European tie.

However Liverpool has not yet lost in this season’s UEFA Europa League proper. The Reds have drawn five of their nine games since match day one, more than any other side in the competition.
Liverpool kept a fourth successive clean sheet in the first leg – one more in the second leg and they will match SSC Napoli’s UEFA Europa League record for successive games without conceding.

In their game against United, they dominated both halves of the game against who were constantly at the brink of conceding goals but spectacular performances from United shot stopper David De-Gea ensured Manchester United were not walloped with goals at Anfield.
Liverpool’s 17 encounters with domestic rivals in UEFA competition have ended in five wins, seven draws and five loses (W5 D7 L5). At Anfield they have a record of five wins, three draws and have lost one (W5 D3 L1) whilst at away they have drawn four and lost four away (W0 D4 L4).
United will have to be at their best to beat Liverpool on Thursday if they have any chance of progressing to the quarter final stage of the Europa League.
Totteham Hotspur will have to reverse a 3-0 defeat they suffered in the hands of Borussia Dortmund last week at the Signal Iduna Park if they are to progress to the quarter –final of the Europa League.
Europa Matches in a glance.
RSC Anderlecht v FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Sevilla FC  v  FC Basel 1893
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Villarreal CF
Valencia CF v Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Manchester United v Liverpool
Lazio v Sparta Prague
Totteham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund
SC Braga v Fenerbahce