Manchester United and Real Sociedad meet at Old Trafford for the decisive second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, with the aggregate score level at 1-1 following last week’s clash in San Sebastian. Joshua Zirkzee put United ahead in the first leg before Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty ensured the Spanish side remained in contention. Since that encounter, United were held to another 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal, a result that further dimmed their hopes of salvaging a respectable finish in the Premier League, where they sit 14th. With no domestic silverware in sight, Ruben Amorim’s men must target Europa League success as their only realistic route to next season’s Champions League.

While United remain unbeaten in this season’s Europa League, winning five and drawing four, their struggles in the league have been compounded by injury woes, with Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and several others sidelined. Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire are also doubts for Thursday’s game, potentially forcing Amorim into defensive reshuffles. On the other hand, Sociedad arrive at Old Trafford in poor form, having lost three of their last four matches, including a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Sevilla over the weekend. They have slipped to 11th in La Liga and, like United, may need to go the distance in the Europa League to secure European football next season.

Despite Sociedad’s struggles, they have enjoyed success at Old Trafford in recent visits, winning 1-0 in 2022 and holding United to a goalless draw in 2021. Imanol Alguacil’s squad is still dealing with injuries, though key midfielder Martin Zubimendi is set to return after missing the first leg due to illness. Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, and Ander Barrenetxea are also expected to be restored to the starting lineup as Sociedad look to defy the odds.

Given United’s inconsistency and Sociedad’s resilience in previous meetings, another tight contest is likely. I expect both teams on the scoresheet with United coming on top!

曼联和皇家社会将在老特拉福德球场迎来欧联杯16强第二回合的决战，继上周在圣塞瓦斯蒂安的交锋后，双方总比分为1-1。齐克切在首回合帮助曼联取得领先，但米克尔·奥亚扎巴尔的点球确保了西班牙队仍在争夺中。那场比赛之后，曼联在主场又被阿森纳1-1逼平，这一结果进一步削弱了他们在英超联赛中取得体面成绩的希望，目前他们在英超排名第14位。在没有国内奖杯的情况下，鲁本·阿莫里姆的球队必须把欧联杯的成功作为下赛季欧冠的唯一现实途径。

虽然曼联在本赛季的欧联杯中保持了5胜4平的不败战绩，但他们在联赛中的挣扎却因伤病而雪上加霜，马丁内斯、卢克·肖、梅森·芒特和其他几名球员都缺阵了。莱尼·约罗和哈里·马奎尔在周四的比赛中也有疑问，这可能会迫使阿莫里姆重新洗牌防守。另一方面，社会达以糟糕的状态来到老特拉福德，在过去的四场比赛中输掉了三场，包括周末主场0 - 1输给塞维利亚的令人失望的比赛。他们在西甲联赛中滑落到第11位，和曼联一样，他们可能需要在欧联杯中走远，才能确保下赛季的欧洲联赛。

尽管社会达处境艰难，但他们最近在老特拉福德取得了成功，在2022年以1比0获胜，并在2021年以0比0逼平曼联。伊马诺·阿尔瓜西尔的球队仍然在处理伤病问题，尽管中场主力祖比门迪将在因病缺席首回合比赛后回归。奥亚扎巴尔、久保武司和巴雷内西亚也有望重返首发阵容，因为社会希望打破这种可能性。

考虑到曼联在之前的比赛中表现的不稳定和社会的韧性，另一场激烈的竞争可能会发生。我希望两支球队都能进球，而曼联会高居榜首！