Old Trafford will stage the Europa League quarter-final between the Red Devils and Belgian Anderlecht. The hosts bring the lead after the 1-1 draw in the first leg at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium in Brussels. Manchester United continued to increase their best unbeaten streak with a huge victory over Chelsea last weekend (2-0). It is 23 matches that do not lose the men of José Mourinho, who, despite everything, do not finish starting this season in which they have won both the Community Shield and the EFL Cup. However, the team adds too many draws, being unable to close matches against inferior teams. Perhaps the team suffered one of their biggest disappointments of the season almost a month and a half ago, when the then-current FA Cup champion could not do anything to the Premier League leader, who defeated him 1-0 in quarters Of end of the FA Cup. The losses of Ibrahimovic, Martial and Rooney, next to the expulsion of Ander Herrera were too for a team that was living a good moment of form.
The Red Devils surpassed Arsenal in the fight for 5th place, adding 60 points in 31 games (16 wins, 12 draws and 3 losses), making 12 of the last 18 points. Jose Mourinho's men are one of the two groups that have lost the most in this season, only three (the same as Tottenham, who is second). In the Europa League, the English side eliminated Saint-Etienne (3-0, 0-1) and Rostov (1-1, 1-0) before the Belgians.
The Anderlecht has been one of the most pleasant surprises of this campaign in Europe. The team that trains Rene Weiler had to overcome to Slavia Praga in the eliminatory one before the beginning of the group phase, beating the Czechs by a double 3-0. Framed in Group C, next to the French Saint-Etienne, Mainz 05 German and Gabala Azerbaijan, the Belgians finished in second position, adding 11 points, one less than the French. The Russian Zenit were their tough rivals in the second round of the second European competition, achieving the task of leaving out of the fight for the title the veteran M.Lucescu team by better difference of goals in the opposite field (2-0 in Brussels ; 3-1 in St. Petersburg). In the second round, the rival was Apoel Nicosia, the executioner of Athletic Club. Anderlecht scored a 1-0 double in this quarter-final round after conceding a single goal in all four of their qualifying matches.
Football prediction Europa LeagueLeading the Belgian league, with 6 points ahead of Gent, this match is the most important of those who have played in recent seasons.
It will be the second match between both teams in this competition after the 1-1 of the first leg. A priori, both are good defense teams, so I do not expect either of them to take any chances until the second half. As on other occasions, Manchester United may have to score more than one goal, so the forecast is that they will score more than 2.5 goals in this match.