Man United are back in the Europa League next week where they face Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Round of 32. And according to Dimitar Berbatov, the Premier League side will have to keep their guards up for this particular encounter.
“United are back in Europa League action next week and their away leg has been moved to a neutral stadium,” the former United ace told Betfair, as quoted by Mirror.
“I don’t believe that will give either team an advantage.
“They are coming up against Real Sociedad and I think it’s pretty clear that United will be the favourites in that game, but they need to be careful because in the past they have had major difficulties coming up against Spanish sides who are very technical and control the ball.
“Looking at his last few games for the team, Pogba will be missed for this one. He was getting into great positions, scoring goals and really helping the team.
“United have the quality to replace him though and I’m sure [Donny] Van de Beek will want to step up. The team will miss Pogba but they have enough to compensate for his absence in this match.”
The last time Man United faced a Spanish opponent was last season in the Europa League when they were beaten by Sevilla and historically, the Red Devils have not done pretty well against Spanish oppositions.
But all said and done, with the form they are in right now, everyone is expecting Man United to pick up a win next week for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the first leg will be played at a neutral venue due to all the restrictions in Spain meaning Real Sociedad will gain no real home advantage from this game. And secondly, the Spanish side have been in a poor run of form in the La Liga as they have picked up just one win in their previous fine league games.
Yes, Pogba will be a big miss for this game if he cannot be fit in time but Man United have enough quality in their side to ensure they do not falter at the Juventus Stadium next week.
