Club Brugge vs Manchester United : Preview / Match Stats / Predicted Line Up

Manchester united will protect their 3-1 lead when they travel to Jan Breydel Stadion on Wednesday night. The Belgium side would be looking to bounce back on their home ground. Club Brugge have not played in UEFA Champions League group stage since 2005-06. United didn't qualify for the 2014-15 Champions League which was their first absence from the elite stages since 1995-96. De Club are unbeaten in last 10 European home games- winning six and drawing four.

What’s the state of play?
Manchester United earned a 3-1 lead in the first leg of this aggregate tie thanks to goals from Memphis Depay (2) and Marouane Fellaini. It gives the Red a good advantage, although the Belgians have a crucial away goal and would need a 2-0 win to secure qualification to the group stages if United failed to score.

Are there any sub-plots?

The loser of this play-off tie will drop into the UEFA Europa League. United’s two Belgium internationals Adnan Januzaj and Fellaini are also set to feature in their homeland.

So who’s in good form?

Louis van Gaal’s men were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Newcastle in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday, although one positive was a third consecutive clean sheet for the Reds in the league this season. Meanwhile, Brugge head into this important European tie on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Zulte-Waregem on Saturday, a result that leaves them sixth in the Belgian Pro League with only seven points from five matches played. On a more positive note, at least for them, Wednesday's hosts are unbeaten in 10 European home games (W6, D4) and beat Panathinaikos 3-0 in the previous round - a repeat of that result would eliminate United.

Do we know any team news?

Bastian Schweinsteiger made his first start of the 2015/16 season against the Magpies and played for 60 minutes, although it is unclear whether the German will retain his place in the XI over Michael Carrick. Elsewhere, Phil Jones is still recovering from a mild case of thrombosis and Marcos Rojo is continuing to improve his match fitness. Brugge are expected to be without Timmy Simons following his injury at Old Trafford, while Brandon Mechele is definitely out through suspension after he picked up two yellow cards last Tuesday night.

What do the players think? 

Asked if his late goal would prove unpopular in his native Belgium, Fellaini said: “I don’t care, the most important thing is the win. But we have to be careful in the second leg and, as I said, we will press them and we have the quality to win there as well. We have to be ready.”

Van Gaal's view: 

“It is a difficult ground, and it is not a simple opponent. I have read in the papers in England that it is simple and it is a walkover, but it isn’t like that. Brugge against Panathinaikos, they won 3-0 [in the previous round]. It is still a game, but because of our third goal we now have more confidence.”

Are Brugge confident?

Not really, but they are realistic and remain quietly optimistic of causing an upset in front of their fans. Just ask creator-in-chief, Victor Vaquez: “I'm disappointed by the first-leg result - that is clear - as we held on to a great first-leg result for so long. That final goal from Fellaini really makes it hard on us, however. But you never know in football. If we manage to score an early goal in Bruges, and if our 12th man starts backing the team 100 per cent, then we can go anywhere!”

Expected XI

Club Brugge

Bruzzese
Duarte
Cools
De Bock
Mechele
Bolingoli Mbombo
Simons
Vazquez
Vorner
Diaby
Dierckx

Manchester United

Romero
Darmain
Smalling
Blind
Shaw
Carrick
Schneiderlin
Mata
Memphis
Januzaj
Rooney

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