Real Sociedad vs Manchester United – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

The Europa League’s Round of 16 commences tonight with Manchester United facing Real Sociedad in Spain.

Despite experiencing their worst league campaign of the modern era, United went unbeaten in the league phase of this competition.

Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte have been added to the extensive unavailable list after picking up minor knocks at the weekend. However, Toby Collyer has shaken off a recent muscle issue to form part of the travelling squad.

Patrick Dorgu is still suspended domestically, but he is back at Ruben Amorim’s disposal tonight as the ban doesn’t apply to European competition.

Real Sociedad’s quality shone through in the playoffs as the Spaniards beat FC Midtjylland 7-3 on aggregate.

Jon Pacheco and promising youngster Arsen Zakharyan are unavailable this evening, with the latter nursing a thigh injury. Aritz Elustondo was shown a straight card against Barcelona on the weekend, but like Dorgu, he is eligible to play.

Real Sociedad vs Manchester United – Match preview and team news

Form

Real Sociedad: LWWLL

Ten-man Sociedad were swept aside by Barcelona in a 4-0 defeat on Sunday.

Skipper Aritz Elustondo was given his marching orders in the 17th minute for denying Dani Olmo a goalscoring opportunity.

They have now lost three of their last four league matches and haven’t scored in any of those negative results.

Despite residing in a relatively safe ninth position in La Liga, only ten points separate them from the relegation zone. In Europe, Sociedad have defeated FC Midtjylland, PAOK, Dynamo Kyiv and Ajax at the Reale Arena.

Manchester United: WLDWD

It was penalty shootout heartbreak for the Red Devils after the holders were dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham on Sunday.

After the game finished 1-1, Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee crucially missed their spot-kicks as Ruben Amorim’s side exited competition.

With United languishing in 14th position in the Premier League and out of both domestic cup competitions, tonight’s match is of huge significance.

Winning the Europa League is the only realistic avenue to earning qualification for European competition next season.

United were only one point off top spot in the league phase and claimed wins over the likes of Rangers and FCSB.

Last Meeting

Real Sociedad 0-1 Manchester United, Europa League, 3rd November 2022

Manchester United’s last trip to Sociedad was a successful one as they prevailed in the Europa League back in 2022.

The decisive goal arrived just after the quarter of an hour mark and it was a monumental moment for Alejandro Garnacho.

The Argentine’s idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, slipped through the youngster, who lifted a finish over the reach of Alex Remiro. The teenager could not have dreamed of better circumstances to record his first goal for the club.

Surprisingly, Sociedad were shown mercy by Ronaldo just before the break. The master marksman’s chip had too much power and landed on the roof of the net.

David de Gea then produced a remarkable double stop to preserve his side’s advantage. After an initial save, the stopper reacted quickly to prevent Pablo Marin from converting the rebound.

The Red Devils held firm in the second half to secure a narrow victory over Imanol Alguaci’s outfit.

Predicted Lineups

Real Sociedad: Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Elustondo, Lopez; Zubimendi; Kubo, Marin, Mendez, Oyarzabal; Oskarsson.

Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Yoro, De Ligt, Mazraoui, Dorgu; Casemiro, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Zirkzee.

Who is the referee?

Slovak referee Ivan Kruzliak will be the match official. Branislav Hancko and Jan Pozor will assist him while Peter Kralovic will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Pol van Boekel and he will be assisted by Michal Ocenas.

What TV channel is Real Sociedad vs Manchester United on?

Real Sociedad vs Manchester United will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ UK.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off at the Reale Arena will be at 17:45 GMT on Thursday 6th March 2025.

Real Sociedad vs Manchester United Match Odds

Real Sociedad: 11/10

Draw: 9/4

Manchester United: 11/4

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