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Manchester United welcome Young Boys to Old Trafford in their concluding Group F clash in 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.
With qualification as Group F winners already finalised, Man Utd are playing for pride as they continue to adapt to life under Ralf Rangnick.
Young Boys however can secure Europa League football with victory if Atalanta lose to Villarreal elsewhere.
Team News
Jesse Lingard is a for Man Utd after a muscle injury forced him to miss Sunday’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
Luke Shaw (head) is a doubt but Raphael Varane (hamstring), Paul Pogba (quad), Anthony Martial (muscle) and Edinson Cavani (tendon) remain ruled out.
Young Boys will be missing Ulisses Garcia after the defender suffered a calf injury against Zurich in late November.
Christian Fassnacht (concussion) and Wilfried Kanga (head) are doubts but David von Ballmoos (shoulder), Cedric Zesiger (foot), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Achilles), Felix Mambimbi (unspecified) and Joel Monteiro (knee) are ruled out.
Stat Attack
- Man Utd have lost just one of three previous meetings against Young Boys (W2, L1).
- Young Boys lost their only previous visit to Old Trafford in November 2018, in which they were defeated 1-0 through Marouane Fellaini’s 90th minute winner.
- If he scores here, Cristiano Ronaldo would score in every group match for the first time since 2017-18 season when he netted nine goals across all six group matches for Real Madrid that campaign
- Two of Young Boys’ six goals in Group F this season have been scored by Jordan Pefok.
- Bruno Fernandes has been involved in six of Utd’s ten goals in Group F with six assists in five appearances.
Prediction
Having blown an early lead in Bern in September, Utd cannot afford to come here underestimating Young Boys, especially given that this Swiss team has caused United’s fellow Group G opposition some difficulty but Rangnick can take heart from a spirited clinical home win on Sunday.
Young Boys’ away form in this group however has been disappointing with two defeats and are winless in their last five away games in all competitions, yet are still in with a shot of Europa League football so I expect them to go for the win here.
Utd though will be eager to continue their progress under Rangnick because they looked more confident on and off the ball against Palace than they have done for much of the season, yet he will be rotating his squad to give fringe players a shot so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a draw.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Young Boys
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