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| Europe to save United’s season? Posted: 25 Feb 2014 12:00 AM PST
Fate was kind towards David Moyes and his men and while United’s 19-season spell in the Champions League coming to an end, the draw offers the Reds the best possible chance to advance to the quarter finals for the first time since 2010-11, for Olympiacos, with all due respect, shouldn’t cause too many concerns to United, not over two legs anyway.
Having said that, United’s form this season has been so dismal that we have learnt to expect the unexpected, but two clean sheets in the last two league games – first time United have achieved such feat this season – are a promising sign ahead of tonight’s trip to the Greek capital, where United have won on their last two visits. Top of the Greek league by 20 points and unbeaten in the league this season having won 24 of their 26 matches, Olympiacos have lost their danger man Konstantinos Mitroglou to Fulham in January and will be without former Barcelona and Benfica striker Javier Saviola who picked up an injury at the weekend, while former Red Roy Carroll should be on the bench. United, meanwhile, have injury concerns of their own with Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Rafael still absent from the first team squad, which means that David Moyes is likely to opt for an almost identical formation to the one that ran out 2-0 winner at Selhurst Park on Sunday, particularly given that United do not play in the league until the 8th of March. Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra are the obvious choices at the back, while Marouane Fellaini could tempt fate by starting two games in a row, after an encouraging – that is to say that he wasn’t as useless as in previous outings – spell at Palace over the weekend, with Michael Carrick alongside him. Juan Mata is cup tied which means that one between Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia is likely to be deployed alongside Wayne Rooney and Adnan Januzaj behind Robin Van Persie, unless Moyes decides to bring Shinji Kagawa back from exile but, frankly, there are more chances of Valencia beating his man and delivering a precise cross than to see the Japanese starting. Over the last few days Moyes pointed out that the Champions League can cause a few surprises, having certainly done so when Liverpool bored opponents to death to negotiate their way to a trophy in 2005 and when Roberto Di Matteo masterminded a “smash and grab” approach, as Chelsea won it in 2012, but one feels that United would need an even bigger slice of luck to get their hands on the European Cup this season. Having said that, the Reds haven’t conceded a goal in their last four games in Europe and have won all of their four previous meetings against tonight’s opponent, scoring at least three goals in three of those four occasions and if United can maintain that record, then they’ll take a huge step towards the quarter finals. In the meantime, let’s savour tonight. It could be the last time for a while. Probable starting XI:
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