Key occasions
Teams!
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Mbeumo; Sesko. Subs: Bayindir, Dorgu, Malacia, Mazraoui, Yoro, Mount, Ugarte, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van Den Berg, Lewis-Potter- Jensen, Yarmoliuk; Schade, Damsgaard, Ouattara; Thiago. Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Dasilva, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Furo, Shield.
Referee: Chris Kavangh (Ashton-under-Lyne)
Preamble
One of essentially the most joyous issues about soccer is how depressing it makes nearly everybody – Arsenal, for instance, are prime of the desk and within the semi-finals of the Champions League, but there’s no sense anybody linked with them is having fun with any of it.
Unusually, although, each tonight’s golf equipment are fairly proud of life. United have close to sufficient secured Champions League soccer for subsequent season and, since Michael Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim, no aspect has gained extra factors nor scored extra targets. For the primary time in a very long time, speak of a title problem doesn’t sound ridiculous.
Brentford, in the meantime, regarded relegation favourites in August, shedding a few of their greatest gamers and their supervisor too. But Keith Andrews has guided them fantastically such that they now sit eighth within the desk, and have each likelihood of securing European soccer for the primary time of their historical past.
And make no mistake, they’ll come to Old Trafford to win. It gained’t have escaped Andrews’ consideration how a lot United struggled with Leeds’ physicality this time final week and, although tonight’s possible centre-back partnership shall be higher ready to deal with strain of that kind, Brentford are higher at making use of it.
Which is to say that, with each groups dedicated to assault and needing factors however not beneath strain, this needs to be lots of enjoyable – except one among soccer’s overarching truths decides on the contrary.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
