Champions League Group F

Manchester United 3:2 Atalanta

OId Trafford

Kick-off
Wed, 20 October 2021 @ 8:00pm BST
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Discussion Your Lineup Prediction

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    zenith

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    This is absolutely our best 11 on current form. If we can't win with this team, the problem lies with the coaching
     

    Artimities

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    I saw somebody post it earlier and the more I think about it... they may be on to something. Bruno and Pogba on the pitch at the same time is not good for us. It can only work if we are 2-3 goals ahead. Close games leave us open as both think creatively and often leave gaps. It makes sense to break them up as much as possible to start games.
     

    Ixion

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    Rashford starting already shows the shit we're in. Played him into the ground last season and trying to do it again.
     

    Ayoba

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    Not 4-2 fecking 3-1 again.

    For the love of Jesus, Allah and guru Nanak
     

    MalaysianRed7

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    In fairness, it’s a decent lineup aside from McFred. Got pace, creativity and balance in there, just that the players providing the balance are not good enough. Ole did say something needs to give though, but I don’t actually know what gave. Pogba’s place?
     

    largelyworried

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    I mean, I'm not against that line up, but that's basically our normal line up. Not sure what I was expecting, but something more different somehow.
     

    Ixion

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    If this is Ole's brainwave how to fix our recent problems Liverpool will smash us
     

    TMDaines

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    Looking forward to this tonight, as I'm expecting a reaction from the players and maybe some big calls from the manager. Could be a back five, but in the end I have predicted the usual 4-2-3-1, expecting us to sit deeper and tighter out of possession:

    DDG
    AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw
    McT Fred
    Greenwood Bruno Rashford
    Ronaldo
    11/11. Really wanted to see Rashford left and Sancho right, but didn’t feel as if Greenwood would be dropped.

    Let’s just hope we see a better hungrier performance tonight. Feel this team would perform better in a 4-3-3 with Bruno a bit deeper, but not sure we will get that.
     

    LuisNaniencia

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    We need both of those things tonight, probably more than at any point since Ole took charge. A good performance would prove the squad is still behind Ole, that they're willing to fight to keep him in the job. Another performance similar to the West Ham, Young Boys, Everton, Villa and Leicester games will prove the opposite, of course.

    Big game tonight.
    There's been a lot of justified negativity. It's easy to forget we have some top players and the crowd will be behind them tonight.
     

    Teja

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    With all respect to these coaches, how much 'coaching' do our very good players need at this point. Maybe we should try implementing a remotely discernible style of play.

    I would genuinely love to know exactly what they have been working on for the last 2-3 years.
    It hasn't been the same tactics this year as last year though. We've been trying to press higher up, trying to work out how to fit Ronaldo, Sancho in etc. etc.

    If anything we've regressed from our form last season (1.75PPG in the league playing against the easier sides vs ~2 PPG across the whole season last year).

    The fact that we haven't been able to execute is a problem .. why haven't we tried to work out the pressing system for two years? Why start now? And it's not guaranteed that it'll work either. Maybe the current lot are just incapable of getting a team to press properly.

    But there's definitely work to do and I appreciate that they're working hard. It's not Ole's / McKenna's / Carrick's fault that they haven't been sacked yet. Instead of being defeatist and going through the motions, believe in yourself, put the work in and maybe turn it around.

    Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity, as goes that commonly peddled phrase. McFred didn’t work before, it won’t work now. I’m at a lost for words as to why Ole, looking to keep his job and win back the fans, keeps doing it. Why can’t Donny ever get a game? He was one of the stars in the Ajax system we saw last night.
    McFred started almost every single big game last season and did well. I trust them to do better than basically any other midfield partnership we can put out (Fred + Pogba, McT + Pogba, Matic + Pogba, Fred + Matic etc. etc.)
     

    stu_1992

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    The balance of the team looks like a little better on paper. Certainly more defensive cover and energy with Fred/McTominay and the pace of Rashford will be great. Obviously a big concern will be being creative enough, we're basically relying on Fernandes for that. Also we can't afford Maguire or any of our defenders to have an absolute nightmare like at the weekend.
     

    Orton

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    No Cavani is disappointing. The midfield is oles favourite, hardly anything groundbreaking about things changing.
     

    wolvored

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    7 defensive players and 4 attackers. No Pogba. The same team we played and won feck all quite a lot of the time last season. Well done Ole and coaches for the balls to come up with exactly the same old.
     

    GDaly95

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    I haven't said a bad word about Ole yet but this was a time to show you know how to change things and turn it around.

    Going back to Fred and McTominay is a truly bad look.
     

    Sviken

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    Typical same old, same old. Instead of trying for something new, be the same conservative scared of his own shadow coach you've always been. I just can't anymore with this manager. Fully resigned myself now. Don't care about winning or losing anymore, it doesn't exactly matter. This season is an absolute waste.
     

    UnitedSofa

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    Right, so Ole's something has to give basically meant dropping Pogba and nothing more. No balls at all.
    7 defensive players and 4 attackers. No Pogba. The same team we played and won feck all quite a lot of the time last season. Well done Ole and coaches for the balls to come up with exactly the same old.
    Typical same old, same old. Instead of trying for something new, be the same conservative scared of his own shadow coach you've always been. I just can't anymore with this manager. Fully resigned myself now. Don't care about winning or losing anymore, it doesn't exactly matter. This season is an absolute waste.
    What do you expect him to do then?

    Change formation in a must-win UCL game?

    Then he'll lose and you'd say that he should be sacked? At least now there's more defensive players than there is attackers.

    Let's see how the game unfolds and watch the match and enjoy ourselves.

    Also calling this season "a waste" after it's barely begun is a bit dramatic.
     

    Artimities

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    Without taking a glance at the table/ group. What would be the best outcome in the other group game? A tie or a 1-0 win?
     
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    How Shaw and Maguire have kept their place only god knows, at this point it’s neither here nor there I guess. *shrugs*
     

    el3mel

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    I mean I do get that stubbornness is a bad trait in a manager but when you’ve got very few options and the other options were disastrous on the weekend, you can’t really blame him. We should really be questioning those above him who didn’t sign a midfielder in the Summer.

    One thing that does annoy me is the way Ole drops Sancho and then starts him and then drops him. Give him a run in the team for Christ sake otherwise he’s never going to get going, same way Donny hasn’t.
    We have a different option. Van fecking De Beck.

    And no I'm not blaming the board when they have already bought him a 45m midfielder last season that he doesn't want to use.
     

    MalaysianRed7

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    McFred started almost every single big game last season and did well. I trust them to do better than basically any other midfield partnership we can put out (Fred + Pogba, McT + Pogba, Matic + Pogba, Fred + Matic etc. etc.)
    Can’t say I agree with did well whatsoever, they were average and symbolised a team who would only win 2 and lose 3 of those 10 games against the big 6. McT’s stray pass in the last minute against Chelsea away cost us the win as well.

    For me, it’s Matic-Donny or Matic-Fred, with Fred as B2B like he does for Brazil. We need balance and some ball playing ability in there.
     

    Hugh Jass

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    At least Pogba is dropped.

    Still think it is going to be a tough night though.
     

    Artimities

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    How Shaw and Maguire have kept their place only god knows, at this point it’s neither here nor there I guess. *shrugs*
    I was thinking this as well. I get Maquire even though he can be a meathead. Shaw seems like his form from the summer is leaving him a bit. He isnt going past/ forward as much and seems a tad slower
     

    UnitedSofa

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    How Shaw and Maguire have kept their place only god knows, at this point it’s neither here nor there I guess. *shrugs*
    What and replace them with Bailly and Telles? Two vastly inferior players than Shaw/Maguire.

    Next thing you'll do is agree with Fergie that you should "always play your best players"
     

    laughtersassassin

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    At least Pogba is dropped.

    Still think it is going to be a tough night though.
    Other than disliking him no reason to drop him and not drop any of the other names who played at the weekend.....

    Maguire at fault for nearly every goal.....
     

    CloneMC16

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    It's the team I was expecting. They have to show something in this game.
     
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Post-match discussion

Player Ratings

6.2 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 319 ratings.

Score Predictions

153,68,58
  • Man Utd win
  • Atalanta win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 20% Man Utd 2:1 Atalanta
  • 11% Man Utd 1:1 Atalanta
  • 10% Man Utd 1:2 Atalanta
  • 9% Man Utd 2:2 Atalanta
  • 8% Man Utd 2:0 Atalanta
  • 8% Man Utd 3:1 Atalanta
  • 6% Man Utd 1:0 Atalanta
  • 5% Man Utd 0:2 Atalanta
  • 4% Man Utd 3:0 Atalanta
  • 4% Man Utd 1:3 Atalanta
  • 4% Man Utd 3:2 Atalanta
  • 3% Man Utd 0:1 Atalanta
  • 2% Man Utd 4:1 Atalanta
  • 2% Man Utd 4:0 Atalanta
  • 1% Man Utd 5:0 Atalanta
  • 1% Man Utd 0:3 Atalanta
  • 1% Man Utd 2:3 Atalanta
  • 1% Man Utd 0:0 Atalanta
  • 1% Man Utd 0:5 Atalanta
  • 0% Man Utd 5:1 Atalanta
  • 0% Man Utd 3:3 Atalanta
Compiled from 279 predictions.
Show more results Score Predictions League Table

Match Stats

  1. Man Utd
  2. Atalanta
Possession
56% 44%
Shots
22 13
Shots on Target
9 6
Corners
8 5
Fouls
10 12

Referee

Szymon Marciniak