It's a must win.
De Gea
Valencia--Smalling--Blind--Darmian
Carrick/Herrera--Schweinsteiger
Mata--Rooney--Memphis
Martial
Valencia--Smalling--Blind--Darmian
Carrick/Herrera--Schweinsteiger
Mata--Rooney--Memphis
Martial
Champions League Group B
Manchester United 2:1 VfL Wolfsburg
Old Trafford
- Kick-off
- Wed, 30 September 2015 @ 7:45pm BST
- Status
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Closed
Discussion Live Updates 62 Your Lineup Prediction
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Ideal time to play Wolfsburg, defensive injuries and players out of form are giving them a bit of a headache. We'll cause them all kinds of problems as long as we're positive with our use of Martial and Memphis. Don't think they'll cause us many problems at the back either to be honest.Draxler and Kruse the ones to look out for? Schurrle?
Amazing
Interestingly, we also had CSKA in that group.
I'm almost certain that we actually played 352 in that game. Evra, Carrick and Fletcher as 3 CBs, Nani and Park as wing backs, the same midfield three and Welbeck partnering Owen upfront. We then tried the same formation against Fulham and got destroyed.
I think Shurrle has struggled since he went there but the other 2 are a threat, have to fancy us for this one though. Hopefully we win this and beat Arsenal on Sunday, great way to go into another tedious International break.Expecting a tough game. Looking forward to watching Schwein
starting for us again.I think they will be tough to break down. In our current form, though, I can see us scoring two and conceding one.
Who the heck knows. I'm going to enjoy it, that's for sure. I'm banking on Depay to unleash.This will be a very tough game. Let`s not get fooled by the las results. We have played some nice football against Sunderland but we have been far from great and Sunderland were no real test.
Wolfsburg on the other hand was the better team against Bayern in the first half and deserved to lead 1:0.
No idea which drugs Lewandowski is taking at the moment but if he had come on for Wolfsburg the result might have been the other way round.
The pressure is on us. We MUST win otherwise CL might already been over for us.
I hope for a 1:0 or a 2:1.I can see us playing again with Herrera and Schweinsteiger in midfield even though I'm not a huge fan. I prefer to see Herrera further forwardIs it too early to say that this is a must-win game? Moscow is never an easy place to go to and if we don't pick up 3 points in this game, we might not even make it out of the group.We have to win this. No excuse.We have to win this. After the start we had last week we can't afford to not pick up 3 points in our home games. Anything less than a win will see us heading out of the competition early.
It will be on FS1 in the states. They always show Man United.
You're probably right. I mean, there's no doubt that we could go and win the remaining games if we didn't win on Wednesday night and still potentially even win the group, but it'd feel like a huge task and so much pressure would be on us in Moscow.
On the flipside, win tonight and I reckon we'll go undefeated for the remainder of the Group Stage. It's a good job our slip up was in an away game as you'd expect us to break down all of these sides at Old Trafford. Win the home matches and draw both away should see us out, but we'll probably have to win at Moscow or Wolfsburg to top the group now.
de Gea
Valencia Smalling Blind Darmian
Schneiderlin Schweinsteiger
Mata Rooney Memphis
Martial
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Romero; Jones; Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini, Young, Pereira
Wouldn't mind seeing Wilson on the bench, but it's hard to leave out any of the 18 above. Those are pretty much our only fit first-team players + Pereira who deserves to be in the squad. Would also love a Herrera start here to show we want to be on the front foot even more, but I expect a slightly cautious start.
Subs will probably be Herrera, Fellaini, and Young if we're desperate for a goal. Otherwise, maybe Carrick for Schweinsteiger in the last half an hour and Jones to get a bit more match fitness. Pereira if we're cruising, Young/Herrera if it's still a bit tight.
I do think we'll win this 2-0 with a controlled performance, much like the Sunderland games but with Wolfsburg creating a few good chances.Last edited:
Can't disagree with any of that. A few additions:
Vierinha is the first choice rightback, not Jung. Träsch just starts because Vierinha has been injured, which is a huge problem for Wolfsburg. Vierinha has been fantastic in my opinion, and is arguably their best right winger at the same time, often filled in in attack because they don't have too much depth in the forward positions. He started training again recently but I doubt he'll be back for the game against United. Most likely, he'll return after the international break.
Knoche is injured and out a few weeks with a torn ligament in his ankle. Naldo and Dante should definitely start at centerback.
Gustavo wasn't in the squad on the weekend, not sure why. Read some rumours that he has again problems with his knee. It's not sure if he'll be back for the game in Manchester.
I expect Arnold to start next to Guilavogui in midfield (if Gustavo doesn't start). They've played some crazy attacking formations with Kruse and Draxler as attacking midfielders in a 433 and only one defensive midfielder behind them in recent weeks, but I can't see that as an option against United.Last edited:Must win game, if we don't beat them then I think our progress to the next round will be in real danger with a trip to Moscow coming up next. We've done ourselves no favours at all losing in Eindhoven.
We're not playing them tonight mate, we are playing them in two days. Hope you haven't booked a day off.
Haha yeah I know it's Wednesday, no idea why I said tonight! Must just be so used to posting my thoughts the day of..They arent exactly lighting up the Bundesliga are they but will certainly be a test.
Aren't they 3rd or 4th, but miles behind Bayern?
1 loss from the opening 7 games, and that was against Bayern.
3 draws and 3 wins. Only 10 scored and 8 conceded.
We have to beat them, a loss or draw and suddenly our enxt few fixtures look a lot tougher.Most important match of the season thus far...anything less than 3 points and we're probably kissing the knockout round goodbye, which would be a massive, massive disappointment for this season.
---------------------De Gea------------------------
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--------------Smalling---Blind---------------------
Valencia-----------------------------------Darmian
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------------Morgan-----Bastian--------------------
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Mata----------------Rooney---------------Memphis
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---------------------Martial--------------------------
Need to come out flying. If we haven't taken the lead by the hour mark, I'd say Herrera on for Schneiderlin and Young on for Memphis if he's struggling.GM v Volskwagen, the final battle.
Winner gets to cheat some more.Just going to state the obvious here, we need a win on the board. Hopefully the home advantage brings us a bit of luck.Huge game. I feel quite calm knowing that Schweinsteiger should be quite well rested though. We're so much better when he's on the pitch.Absolutely furious I'm not going to be able to watch this - and why, ironically because I'm coming to the UK on Wednesday, invited out to dinner that night, business meetings all day Thursday, back to France on Friday and then away all weekend again, so won't watch the Arsenal match live eitherHa, it`s on German Free TV. And somehow I thought it is going to be on the 29 when I have bought musical tickets for tomorrow some months ago.
But fortunately it is on Wednesday.I've got tix for this woohoo.
That does not really matter. But Hecking's teams always were trouble for Bayern - even the small Nuremberg during van Gaal's time in Munich. Van Gaal's last match for Bayern was a 1:1 draw in Nuremberg.
The last matches with Bayern:
2013/14
in Munich
A scrapped 1:0 from Müller in minute 63.
in Wolfsburg
a 6:1 after a 60 minutes tough match in which Wolfsburg was the better team. Bayern roled over them in 17 minutes with 5 goals.
2014/15
in Munich
2:1 first match of the season (short after the World Cup)
in Wolfsburg
1:4!!!
2015/16
last week in Munich
Wolfsburg looked very good the first 50 minutes and led with 1:0. Bayern changed the system and won 5:1 (5 Lewy-goals in 9 minutes)
I think that last match against Bayern is interesting to give you comparisons and tell you the difficulties.
Bayern played the first half like this:
NeuerCosta played as an inverted winger in the first half on the right. Götze played more inverted, too.
Lahm - Boateng - Alaba - Bernat
Alonso
Thiago - Vidal
Costa - Müller - Götze
I think Guardiola's idea was to stabilize the midfield - like this just with one from Müller and Lewy - and a full midfield three. With Naldo and Dante being solid defenders he thought crosses to one single striker would be worthless - so they idea probably was to try to pass it onto goal through the middle especially with the technical players.
That did not work out. Especially the build-up. Wolfsburg covered especially Alonso very well - but they were especially good in isolating different players, pressed very well - and were dangerous on the counter attack.
Guardiola substituted both Bernat and Thiago at halftime.
NeuerThe system changed into a 4-2-3-1 with hanging striker. Götze and Costa changed their position - now both did not act inverted anymore and kept width.
Lahm - Martinez - Boateng - Alaba
Alonso - Vidal
Müller
Götze - Lewy - Costa
People then just remember Lewys 5-goal-show in 9 minutes. But - interesting is more how he got that chances to convert.
What mainly changed was that Martinez now won all of the arial duels on the back. Wolfsburg was robbed of own chances.
Alonso still was isolated but three of the goals started with long flat passes from back, one with a long header from the back that found Lewy and one run on the left wing. Then the Wolfsburg defense was confronted with the 2 strikers. One was easy to cover in the first half - two they could not handle. Dante and Rodriguez were mainly trying to cover Müller - I still have not found out were Naldo was who probably should cover Lewy...
A few remarks from my end (I have relatives who support Wolfsburg and therefore are forced follow them a bit):
Vierinha has always been a (right) winger and was just converted to RB when Wolfsburg ran out of options with Träsch and Jung having been injured or out of form. Struggling in his first few games in that role, he came out really, really well. He's still injured and doesn't fully participate in training; highly unlikely he'll be fit for Wednesday.
Wolfsburg had big expectations for Jung who so far struggled to fulfill any. Expect him to come from the bench if at all subbed on.
Träsch is by education a defensive midfielder, converted to a RB IIRC during Felix Magath's second spell. He also played a couple of games as DM under Hecking, though. Expect him to start as RB but if need be in DM, he may move there and Jung take the RB spot.
Gustavo's knee has indeed not fully recovered; IIRC it's infected which he may be able to cope with in one important game.
Arnold seems to have fallen from Hecking's grace for whatever reason; doubtful if he makes it into the starting XI.
Edit: Last season, Hecking played in almost all games a 4-2-3-1 formation. He aims for more flexibility now and tried a 4-4-2 as well as a 4-1-4-1. This could further explain why Wolfsburg have been far from convincing this season although the loss of de Bruyne is certainly the most significant one.
Edit 2: A word on Naldo. Beware of his headers following corners, of his direct free kicks and long distance shots. His goals saved Wolfsburg a number of points last season, and IIRC he was the best scoring Bundesliga defender.Last edited:
You made it to the mains, congrats.
Thanks to kind mods I did.You made it to the mains, congrats.
Awesome primer. What are their tactics/style?Tough game but a must win. Herrera to start hopefully, not a big fan of the Carrick - Schneiderlin combination.The key will be marking Dost. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fellaini playing from the start to mark him out of the game. That said, this will limit us going forward so maybe Van Gaal will just hope Smalling and BFS can deal with the giant.I hate it when we play on Wednesday. I spend the entire Tuesday convincing myself that I give a feck about the games in the evening but really, it's only our game that I care and think about. If we play on Tuesday I can then relax and enjoy the football the next day without anything on my mind.
Edit: The fact that there isn't a single half-decent game tomorrow doesn't help at all.Pretty sure you'll win quite comfortably. Wolfsburg have played quite average this season and they won't sit deep like PSV so you should have no problems scoring.Am not worried strangely enough. Been a long time since have had that feeling about a United game. Wolfsburg will come to play I think and that will work for us. I see pretty much the same team except for Schweinsteiger in for Carrick.
It's too early. We'll have 4 games left. If we can get 10 points total from the next 5 games (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss) we'll probably go through, just in 2nd place.
This is a big game, but it only really gets scary if Wolfsburg beat us and PSV beats CSKA and it's Wolfsburg and PSV 6 and United 0 and then we'd be relying on CSKA to get some points or us to win 4 in a row.- Status
Man of the Match
Runners-up
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 816 ratings.
Score Predictions
892,21,55
- Man Utd win
- Wolfsburg win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 29% Man Utd 2:0 Wolfsburg
- 24% Man Utd 2:1 Wolfsburg
- 18% Man Utd 3:1 Wolfsburg
- 11% Man Utd 3:0 Wolfsburg
- 5% Man Utd 1:0 Wolfsburg
- 2% Man Utd 1:1 Wolfsburg
- 2% Man Utd 2:2 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 0:0 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 4:1 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 5:0 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 3:2 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 1:2 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 4:0 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 4:2 Wolfsburg
- 1% Man Utd 0:1 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 0:3 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 5:1 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 0:2 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 5:3 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 0:5 Wolfsburg
- 0% Man Utd 2:3 Wolfsburg
Match Stats
- Man Utd
- Wolfsburg
- Possession
- 53% 47%
- Shots
- 15 6
- Shots on Target
- 6 2
- Corners
- 3 2
- Fouls
- 16 13
Referee
Viktor Kassai
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Ashley Young
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replaced by Andreas Pereira
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replaced by Phil Jones
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