Manchester United Vs FC Twenty: Members Of The King Indo Squad Challenge The Red Devils
JAKARTA - Manchester United will start the Europa League 2024-25 campaign by hosting Eredivisie club FC Twenty at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, September 25. This match is the first meeting between the two teams, and the Red Devils have lost just once in their previous nine home games against the Dutch team.
This match will also be a historic moment for Mess Hilgers, Twente's mainstay defender, who will be the first Indonesian player to face Manchester United in an official match. Hilgers has become a key figure in the Twente defense and is expected to be able to block attacks from United stars in this important match.
After finishing last season in eighth place in the Premier League, Manchester United continued to participate in the Europa League thanks to their victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. However, the start of the season's journey was quite varied for Erik ten Hag's men, with three wins, three defeats, and one draw from seven matches in all competitions.
In the last Premier League match, United only drew 0-0 against Crystal Palace, although Ten Hag claimed his team dominated in the first half. Now, United must focus on the opening match of the Europa League against FC Twenty, one of eight opponents in the group stage of the competition which has now expanded to 36 teams.
Meanwhile, FC Twenty, who finished third in Eredivisie last season, started a new campaign well, recording two straight wins over Heerenveen and Almere City. Despite failing to qualify for the Champions League after losing 5-4 on aggregate to Red Bull Salzburg, Joseph Oosting's side are now preparing for a big challenge at Old Trafford.
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Manchester United will perform without Leny Yoro who suffered a leg injury, while Luke Shaw,ten Malacia, and Victor Lindelof are doubtful even though the last two names have returned to training. Ten Hag will probably rotate his back line, with Harry Maguire potentially replacing Matthijs de Ligt or Lisandro Martinez.
Marcus Rashford, who did not play against Crystal Palace, hopes to return to the starting XI after scoring three goals in the previous two matches. On the front lines, Joshua Zirkzee will probably continue to be the first choice while Rasmus Hojlund is still recovering.
On the FC Twente side, Michal Sadilek and Younes Taha are confirmed to be absent due to injury. Sem Steijn, who has scored seven goals this season, will be the mainstay behind striker Sam Lammers. Mess Hilgers will again be a solid bulwark in Twente's back line, and will be tested by United's attacking speed.
Player Composition Forecast
Manchester United:Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee
FC Twenty:Unnerstall; Van Rooij, Hilgers, Bruns, Salah-Eddine; Eiding, Regger; Rots, Steijn, Van Bergen; Lammers