Manchester United will be looking to produce another encouraging performance when they welcome Juventus to Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho’s United side currently occupy second-place in Group H and are in need of a positive result as they look to strengthen their hopes of qualification to the knockout stages.
United have won their last three meetings with Juventus in all competitions but this will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides since the second group stage of the 2002-03 Champions League campaign.
In terms of early team news, Mourinho has revealed Alexis Sanchez will miss the match while Marouane Fellaini and Scott McTominay are also expected to be out.
Here’s how some writers think the team should line up.
Samuel Luckhurst
The front six has to be the same as the one at Chelsea. Juventus sometimes play two holding midfielders. Paul Pogba cowed Jorginho in the second-half at Stamford Bridge and once Juan Mata got a foothold in the game the Italian midfielder had little room to manoeuvre.
Victor Lindelof was United’s poorest performer on Saturday and Eric Bailly is easily the better defender. That would be the only change from what was an excellent 45 minutes in a draw that ought to have been a win for United. The challenge this week is to perform positively over 90 minutes.
Line up: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Bailly, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Rashford, Lukaku.
Ciaran Kelly
If it ain’t broke, why fix it? There was a lot to like about United’s second-half performances against Newcastle and Chelsea and using Juan Mata in a No.10 role, and giving Anthony Martial an extended run on the left wing, will be key going forward.
For too long now, Jose Mourinho has chopped and changed at will in an effort to strike upon a winning formula but sticking with the same XI would send the right message at a time when United need continued stability.
The challenge now is starting a game with the same intensity they manage after half-time.
United need to set up against Juventus in the same way they did against Chelsea. The front four are quick enough to cause damage, as was shown on Saturday, but by playing with three infront of Pogba and Matic it can act as a defensive shield as well.
Mata excelled in the No 10 role and should start again there but he’s also able to drop back and help out Pogba and Matic when United need more numbers at the back.
